


If He's Anything Like Me

by ammiehawk



Category: Gundam Wing, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-24
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2018-03-19 11:26:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3608367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ammiehawk/pseuds/ammiehawk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if not one, or even two, of the Gundam pilots had a son together, but all five? Some genetic experiment gone awry, or is something else at work here? Yaoi</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

If He’s Anything Like Me

By Ammie Hawk

 

Disclaimer: Really don’t own the characters… and I’m definitely not making any money….

 

Summary: What if not one, or even two, of the Gundam pilots had a son together, but all five? Some genetic experiment gone awry, or is something else at work here?

 

Pairings: SS/02, 01/04, 03/05

 

Prologue

 

A lone, cloaked figure ran down the quiet, snow covered streets of the small town of Godric’s Hollow. No one taking note of the rather strange occurrence as all the residents of the town were safely nestled in their own beds. As they ran a small cry came from the bundle clutched tightly to the figure’s chest.

“Hush, baby, I’ve got you,” a quiet female voice emanated from the depths of the hooded cloak, as she shifted the bundle slightly to reveal the face of a sleeping infant. “You’re going to be okay. Mummy’s got you.”

The woman chanced a glance over her shoulder, making sure the girl wasn’t following her. Of course, the memory charm she’d placed on the teen should have her heading back to Space first thing in the morning and never remembering she had even had a child in the first place. Though she felt she was doing the girl a favor, she was too young to take care of a child all on her own.

As she turned the corner to head out of town, the hood slipped off her head, revealing a long mane of dark red hair.

888888

Eleven Years Later…

 

Harry Potter came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armor. He had been so busy getting away from the library, he hadn’t paid attention to where he was going. Perhaps because it was dark, he didn’t recognize where he was at all. There was a suit of armor near the kitchens, he knew, but he must be five floors above there.

“You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody’s been in the library—Restricted Section.”

Harry felt the blood drain out of his face. Wherever he was, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to his horror, it was Snape who replied, “The Restricted Section? Well, they can’t be far, we’ll catch them.”

“Do we have to?” a third voice, he didn’t recognize, whined. “I came all the way up here to spend time with you, Sev. Can’t you take one night off?”

Harry stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead, followed by another figure with a long brown braid flowing down its back, that must be the owner of the unfamiliar voice. They couldn’t see him, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they’d knock right into him—the cloak didn’t stop him from being solid.

“As my husband, you should understand that school priorities come before personal things,” Snape sighed.

What? Harry’s mind ground to a screeching halt. Snape hadn’t just called the third man his husband. That was just too weird for words. Just wait till he told Ron and Hermione about that one.

He backed away as quietly as he could. A door stood ajar to his left. It was his only hope. He squeezed through it, holding his breath, trying not to move it, and to his relief he managed to get inside the room without Snape or Filch noticing anything. However, as the other two walked past the third stopped, and Harry thought he heard sniffing.

“What’s wrong, Duo?” Snape asked.

“Yasu,” the other, obviously Duo, breathed quietly.

Someone was now approaching the room from both sides. This was not looking good for him at all. However, the footsteps stopped just outside the door.

“Duo, are you sure you are feeling alright?” Snape’s voice was laced with concern, something Harry had never heard from the dour man before.

“Yeah,” the braided man sighed. “Sorry, I thought I smelled something that couldn’t possibly be. Well, anyway, let’s go find this late night creeper so I can have some quality Christmas time with my mate.”

Harry leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before he noticed anything about the room he had hidden in.

It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket—but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn’t look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.

It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_.

His panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape. Harry moved to the mirror, wanting to look at himself but see no reflection again. He stepped in front of it.

He had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He whirled around. His heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed—for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him.

But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror.

There he was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there, reflected behind him, were six others. He looked over his shoulder—but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was he in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror’s trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?

He looked back at the mirror again. A man standing right behind his reflection was smiling at him and waving. He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If he was really there, he’d touch him, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air—he and the others existed only in the mirror.

The man behind him was the smallest of the group, with long brown hair pulled back into a braid and wide amethyst eyes. He wore an easy smile and it was as Harry studied his face that he noticed a strange tattoo just below his right ear of an intricate swirling circle around a strange symbol, that he knew meant mate, but how he knew it he didn’t know.

Standing a little to the right of the first man was a blond, with aquamarine eyes. Harry couldn’t help but compare this one to an angel with his soft features and sweet smile. He just looked so nice and friendly.

Directly behind the blond, actually with his arm wrapped around the angel’s waist, was another brunet, with shaggy hair and piercing blue eyes. His hair stood up in the exact way that Harry’s did, it was almost uncanny. He wasn’t smiling, but his features were relaxed and his gaze held approval.

Next to that couple was a distinctly oriental man with black hair pulled back into a tight tail. His onyx eyes were shining with pride and a confident smile graced his lips. As Harry watched, another man came up behind the Asian man and slipped his arms around his waist, placing his chin on the shorter male’s shoulder.

This man had reddish hair that was short, except for the long bang that covered half of his face. The one visible eye that Harry could see— _his eyes are just like mine_ , Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green—exactly the same shape. But how was that possible? He has his mother’s eyes, everyone told him so.

As he pondered this, his eyes went over to the final person standing there. And involuntary gasp left his mouth as he stared into the face of his Potions Professor. He whirled around again, fearing that he had been caught, but it seemed that this Snape existed only in the mirror as well.

The people in the mirror just watched him, most of them smiling, including Snape which was just weird. And as he stood there, he began seeing himself in each of the faces before him. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part, but he felt like he actually belonged with this group of men, and that they wanted him. As he stood there, drinking in the sight of them, tears began falling down his face, as well as the blond’s and the braided man’s.

How long he stood there he didn’t know. The reflections did not fade and he looked and looked until a distant noise brought him back to his senses. He couldn’t stay here, he had to find his way back to bed. He tore his eyes away from the smiling faces, whispered, “I’ll come back,” and hurried from the room.

888888

Roughly eight months later…

 

Heero Yuy, former Gundam pilot and now premier Preventer agent, approached the house of his current case with his partner, Wufei Chang. He was actually disgusted by the case they were dealing with. He understood why he and his partner were on this case, as they were the best agents within the organization, and obviously these people thought they were above the law.

The local police had received an anonymous tip about a boy being held captive within the house. They had looked into the family and found out that only one child reportedly lived there, according to the database that had been set up after the Mariemaya uprising. After interviewing neighbors and friends of the family, they discovered that there was indeed another boy living in the house, and apparently had been for the past ten years or so.

With an inaudible sigh, he slipped his mask into place as he reached the door of Number Four Privet Drive, Surrey England, and rang the doorbell. Wufei stepped up beside him, knowing, without words, that his partner was stressed. A moment later, the door opened, revealing a blonde woman, with a long face, much like a horse.

“May I help you, gentlemen?” she asked, an obviously forced smile on her face.

“Good day, Madam,” Wufei nodded politely, he was always the voice of their little partnership, as Heero was more likely to use force than words. “I am Agent Shenlong of the Preventers, this is my partner, Agent Wing, we are here regarding a boy in your custody, a Harry Potter.”

“What has the ungrateful brat done this time?” she scowled, stepping aside to allow them into the house.

They shared a subtle look before following the woman inside. They weren’t sure what was going on, but her attitude was not helping her case. They followed her into the parlor and took seats on the sofa as she went to the kitchen to fetch some tea. She returned a few minutes later, with a tea service and an obese man who was obviously her husband. Mr. Dursley introduced himself as his wife prepared the tea. When they had their cups, Heero cleared his throat, he wanted answers now.

“Mr. Dursley, Mrs. Dursley,” he began, his tone carefully guarded, “could you explain to us how Harry Potter came into your custody?”

A frown marred the woman’s face before she pursed her lips, “He was my sister’s child,” she said carefully, as if weighing her words. “My sister and her husband died in a car crash almost eleven years ago. He was dumped on our doorstep to be a burden on us.”

“Can you tell us why he was not registered?” one of Wufei’s brows rose incredulously.

Her eyes widened in shocked surprise, and they could almost see her thinking of her response, “We-we assumed my sister had done it.”

“And when did your sister and her husband die?” Heero asked, sharing another subtle look with his partner.

“October 31st, A.C. 196,” she almost spat out the date as if it left a bad taste in her mouth.

“And when exactly did you take custody of Harry Potter?” Wufei gave an infinitesimal smirk, they had them now.

“November 2nd,” she frowned.

“No doubt you are aware,” Heero reached for his cuffs, “that the Registration Act was passed January 25th, A.C. 197? It would’ve been up to you to register him.”

“Now you see here,” Mr. Dursley pushed to his feet. “You have no right to come into our home and question us! We are decent, hard working people!”

“Who imprison children?” the former Shenlong pilot asked with a sneer.

“He is a danger to himself and others!” Vernon screeched. “We’re doing the world a favor by keeping him locked up!”

“Take care of this, Wing,” onyx eyes rolled in annoyance, he didn’t want to have to deal with these idiots. “I’ll go find the son, and release the boy.”

“You won’t touch my son!” the fat man lunged for the Chinese agent, but Wufei merely pivoted out of the way and brought his hand down on the back of the man’s neck, sending him sprawling to the ground.

“I’m going for the children now, Wing,” he said calmly, heading for the stairs.

Heero nodded, placing the cuffs on the now screeching horse-faced woman, before reciting her rights. Wufei made his way out of the parlor and up the stairs. He found the Dursley boy was sitting in his room on the computer, obviously oblivious to what was going on downstairs, and quickly sent him down to join his parents. He sneered, however, when he came to the room that obviously held the other boy.

There were so many locks on the door that it was just insane. He made quick work of them and then slowly pushed the door open. He didn’t want to frighten the boy after all, even if he didn’t believe he was dangerous, as the pig that pretended to be a man said.

The room he found himself in was disgustingly small and rather dirty. There were empty dishes sitting next to the door and a snowy owl locked in a cage on the desk. There was a definite odor of owl, dirt, and sweat. He shook it off however, as he looked at the bed, where an exceedingly skinny boy was staring at him with something like wonder on his face.

Onyx eyes locked with wide emerald green, as a small gasp left the boy’s throat. Wufei stared transfixed for a moment himself, speechless at the almost familiar face looking back at him, and the eyes that so reminded him of his husband, though where he’d see the face before he wasn’t sure.

“Hello, Harry,” he said quietly, when he finally found his voice. “I am Agent Shenlong of the Preventers. I’ve come to take you out of here.”

Harry just continued to stare. He had thought he had just created the people in the mirror, especially after Dumbledore explained what the mirror did. Obviously he hadn’t as one of them was standing before him now, and he said he was going to take him away from the Dursleys. This was just too good to be true. Maybe lack of food had caused him to hallucinate.

“Come on, Harry,” Wufei held out his hand invitingly. “Let’s get your things.”

The young wizard finally nodded and slowly pushed to his feet. If this was a dream, what would it hurt if he went with this agent? He went over to his desk and gathered Hedwig’s cage, and then turned back to the man standing in the doorway.

“Everything else I own is in the cupboard under the stairs,” he said quietly.

The former Shenlong pilot nodded as he let Harry precede him down the stairs. He would get the things from under the stairs once the boy was safely in the car and out of this house.

“Wing,” he called once they reached the ground floor, “I’m taking the boy out to the car.”

Heero stuck his head around the corner. He nodded to his partner, but then his gaze fell upon the boy they were here for. His eyes widened as he took in all too recognizable face, though he hadn’t see the true owner in several years.

“Duo,” he breathed, causing his partner to look at him in disbelief before the dark eyes flew back to the boy.


	2. A Strange Family

Chapter 1: A Strange Family

 

As Wufei drove away from Four Privet Drive back to the Preventers branch located in London, his mind was working overtime about the boy that was currently seated in the back of his car. His dark eyes drifted frequently to the rear view mirror to study the boy. He still couldn’t believe what Heero had said, but he was right, Harry looked like a younger version of the Duo he remembered during the war, the only difference being the hair and eyes, but that could easily be explained away by the other parent or recessive genes.

That brought on a whole new slew of questions though. When had the former Deathscythe pilot had him? If his estimation of the age was correct the boy would’ve been born during or just after the Eve Wars. And who was the other parent? And why had Duo, of all people, left the child to be raised in a home like that? Unless he didn’t know he had a child, which was possible.

It was as he watched those emerald eyes dart back and forth, watching the passing scenery that something long forgotten entered his mind. He almost slammed on the brakes as he came to a startling realization. What if the other parent was Trowa? It wasn’t inconceivable for males to get pregnant, if they had a magical base, which he knew for a fact his husband had. Was it too much of a stretch for Duo to have one as well? He hadn’t seen the former Deathscythe pilot since the wars had ended to know for sure, as he had been a bit distracted to notice during the wars. And there had been that one night at the circus where the three of them had shared a rather lust filled night. But that still didn’t answer the question as to why Harry had been placed in that house?

He reigned in his wandering thoughts, it wouldn’t do to jump to unfounded conclusions at the moment. He would take the boy to Sally once they reached Headquarters and would go from there. But if he was right, he would see that Trowa got custody and they would raise him together.

888888

A Couple Hours Later…

 

Sally Po, head of the Preventers Medical staff, stared incredulously at the printout she had just got of the DNA analysis of one Harry Potter, not that that was his actual name apparently. But this couldn’t be possible. She shook her head and ran a different sample through the machine, after thoroughly cleaning it, thinking the first had been contaminated. However, the results were exactly the same.

Still in a state of shock, she picked up the phone and dialed her superior. It was picked up almost immediately.

~Une speaking,~ the head of the Preventers snapped briskly.

“You’re not going to believe this,” Sally said without preamble. “I’m sending you a copy of a DNA analysis I just ran.”

She faxed the results to Lady Une’s office, the phone still pressed to her ear, and waited while her superior read through it.

~This isn’t possible,~ Une scoffed. ~There must be some mistake.~

“I took the samples myself,” the doctor explained, “and ran the diagnostic twice. There is no mistake.”

~Well run it again,~ Une demanded.

“If you insist,” she did as instructed and sent the results directly to Lady Une’s office. “Believe me now?”

~How is this possible?~ the normally composed woman asked in shocked incredulity.

“I think the only ones that can answer that are the five of them,” Sally sighed.

~I’ll call them in,~ Une took a calming breath. ~Be ready in an hour to explain this phenomenon.~

“I’ll do my best,” Sally scoffed. “Though, I don’t understand it myself.”

Without another word the line went dead, and the doctor knew that her superior was making the calls to the five former Gundam pilots. She sighed again as she gathered the paperwork she had just filled out and went to gather the boy in question. This was going to be a reunion to remember, and she’d be damned if she missed it.

888888

One Hour Later

 

Duo Maxwell looked up at the one building in the entire Earth Sphere that he’d been avoiding for the past ten years, since the wars ended: Preventers Headquarters, London Branch. Oh, he had gone in for the required registration and whatnot, Une had insisted on it, but after that he had left and never looked back. He hadn’t even seen his fellow pilots since the end of the Mariemaya Uprising, and he preferred it that way.

He felt a strong, reassuring presence behind him and he leaned back into the sturdy chest of his husband. Strong arms encircled his waist as he breathed in the comforting scent of his mate. He wasn’t sure why Lady Une had called him to come in, but he was glad that his husband had decided to accompany him.

“Are you just going to stand here looking at the building all day, or are we actually going to go inside?”

“Do I have to, Sev?” he whined.

“Stop your whining, you insufferable brat,” Severus smirked, pushing the braided man gently away from him and toward the door. “Weren’t you the one that said it’s best to get this over with now?”

“I changed my mind,” Duo whirled around. “Let’s just go home.”

“No,” the dark eyes narrowed dangerously. “Since we are here now, you will get your ass into that building and see why they chose to get in contact with you.”

“You’re so mean to me, Sev,” the braided man pouted, but made his way to the door anyway.

As soon as they entered the building, the former Deathscythe pilot headed straight for the elevator, nodding to the receptionist as he passed. Severus just rolled his eyes but followed his husband, knowing he couldn’t stop him.

The receptionist frowned as they disappeared inside the lift. They hadn’t been expecting anyone that she knew of, and if those two were here to cause trouble they were heading in the wrong direction. She picked up the phone in front of her and quickly dialed the emergency extension. She informed the agent on the other end of the breach in security and left it at that, knowing her job was done.

When the elevator arrived at the appropriate floor, the braided man almost stepped out, but stopped dead at the sight of the person standing there. No, this couldn’t be happening. He wasn’t ready. Why did it have to be him? Okay, not that any of the others would’ve been better, but still. Why couldn’t it have been Noin, or Zechs even? Anyone but one of the former Gundam pilots.

“Duo?” the one visible eye of the former Heavyarms pilot widened in surprise. “Is it really you?”

“Hey, Trowa, long time no see,” he slipped on a beaming smile and extended his hand to the unibanged man.

“It has been awhile,” Trowa accepted the hand and pulled the smaller male into a hug. “We’ve missed you.”

Duo chuckled nervously as he reluctantly returned the embrace, “Yeah, anyway, Lady Une wanted to see me, so I thought I’d just see what she wanted and then I’m gonna go.”

“I don’t think I can allow that,” a small smile pulled at the corners of the other’s mouth. “The others would kill me.”

“Yeah, sure, couldn’t leave without seeing the gang,” the braided man grinned, but was cursing inside his head, in every language he knew. “Anyway, this is my… Severus.”

Dark eyes rolled in annoyance, not sure what had rattled his mate so much, but couldn’t he find some other way to express it, rather than babbling like an idiot, “Severus Snape, Duo’s husband.”

“Trowa Barton-Chang,” he nodded.

Amethyst eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything. So Trowa and Wufei had actually gotten married? Well, good for them. He was happy for them, really he was. But couldn’t Trowa fucking Barton-Chang just forget he ever saw Duo again and let him go about his merry way?

“Well, civilians aren’t supposed to be on the floor without an escort,” the unibanged man shook his head. “I’m afraid I’ll have to escort you the rest of the way. Besides, I’ve also been called to Lady Une’s office.”

“Peachy,” Duo forced his grin to remain, he really wasn’t ready for this at all.

Severus went up beside his mate and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He knew his husband hadn’t wanted to come here, but he wasn’t sure why. And he also wasn’t sure why he was acting so strange around someone who was obviously close to him.

Trowa, unaware of the braided man’s inner turmoil, led the way down the hall to the office of the Head of Preventers. Without bothering to knock, he opened the door and allowed the couple inside. He nodded at the three people already in the office. However, one person’s presence caused Duo to once again falter.

This was just not his day. Why? Why in the name of Shinigami did he have to see another one of the former pilots within minutes of the first? Now all he needed was for the other two to show up and his humiliation would be complete.

“Duo!” the blond Arabian jumped out of his chair and enveloped the braided man in a tight hug.

“Quatre,” Duo gasped, almost forgetting to return the embrace in his shock. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s been forever, Duo,” Quatre pulled back and held him at arm’s length, ignoring the question. “Where have you been? We’ve been so worried about you.”

Duo turned his head slightly so he wasn’t looking at the former Sandrock pilot, “Well, ya know, I’ve been around, just here and there ya know.”

Trowa watched the meeting between the two curiously. Now that he was actually paying attention, he could tell that something was off about the braided man, but he couldn’t fathom why. But what really caught his attention was a mark behind Duo’s right ear that was partially revealed as the former Deathscythe pilot turned his head and his hair shifted slightly. When had Duo gotten a tattoo? He knew for a fact that it hadn’t been there during the war, or the uprising, but ten years had passed since then.

“Duo,” he stepped forward, reaching up and moving the hair the rest of the way, revealing an intricate swirling circle around, what looked like, a kanji, but it wasn’t one he could read. “Where did you get this?”

He had just reached up to touch it when three things happened in rapid succession. Duo whimpered quietly, Severus lunged forward and bodily removed the unibanged man from the braided man’s side, and Quatre clutched his heart as his eyes went wide. The two women in the background just stared incredulously at the scene.

“Don’t touch him,” Snape snarled, leveling his most vicious glare on the former Heavyarms pilot and reaching for his wand.

“He didn’t mean any harm,” Quatre recoiled from the onslaught of emotions coming from the man and Duo. “He was just curious.”

Duo placed his hand on the Potions Master’s arm, “Severus, it’s okay. He just startled me.”

Snape calmed enough to gather the braided man to his chest, but didn’t lower his glare one iota. He would not let anyone harm his mate, be it physical or emotional. And apparently, these two men were guilty of at least one.

“If you four are quite finished,” Lady Une spoke up for the first time, “would you please take a seat? We do have things to discuss today, as soon as the others arrive.”

Quatre took his seat once again, as Trowa sat in the one on his left. Severus moved to the farthest chair from the pair and took a seat, pulling Duo down onto his lap. A moment later, the door burst open and in walked two more agents. Their appearance caused the self-proclaimed Shinigami to tense in his husband’s arms.

“Good, we’re all here,” Lady Une slowly pushed to her feet as Heero and Wufei took their seats. “Now, I have here,” she tapped a paper that was sitting on her desk, “a case for the Family Reconstruction Act. Maybe one of you, or perhaps all five, can tell me why this is here.”

“I would assume that Sally Po sent it to you, Lady Une,” Trowa raised his hand to his mouth to cover his smirk.

“That’s enough out of you, Agent Heavyarms,” Une snapped, leveling a glare at the unibanged man.

“Perhaps, Lady Une,” the blond of the group spoke up, “if you gave us the details of the case we could help you out?”

“Very well,” she scowled, sitting back in her seat. “Earlier today, Agents Wing and Shenlong were sent to investigate a possible child enslavement case. They brought the boy in question back to Headquarters, as he was unregistered in the database. Can any one of you possibly guess what Dr. Po discovered when she ran the analysis?”

“That his parents are sitting in this room,” Wufei answered calmly.

Five sets of eyes turned incredulously onto the Chinese agent, while Duo paled dramatically. Severus wrapped his arms more securely around his mate, not sure what the new problem was.

“Impossible,” the braided man said quietly, but it cut the silence like a knife. “He’s gone. He died.”

“Who?” Quatre asked, clutching his heart again at the pain coming off the former Deathscythe pilot. “Who are you talking about, Duo?”

“So I was right,” the former Shenlong pilot smirked smugly. “You did have a son with Trowa.”

“Not just Trowa,” Sally interrupted, “the boy is the biological son of all five of you.”

“How is that possible?” Heero frowned.

“I would like to know that as well,” Lady Une looked around at the assembled group.

“I believe I can possibly explain that,” Snape sighed, shifting Duo slightly so he could speak directly to the Head of the Preventers.

“And who exactly are you?” Une’s eyes narrowed as she took in the dour man. “And why should we trust you? You came in here, without invitation, and, without provocation, attacked one of my best agents.”

“I am Severus Snape, the mate and husband of Duo Maxwell,” the Potions Master began with a slight sneer. “I am here at the personal invitation of my husband, whom you invited. As for attacking your agent, he stepped out of line with my mate, it is my right to protect him. As for trusting me, that is entirely up to you, but I believe that I have the most information on the topic at hand.”

“Would you just get on with it?” Wufei demanded, scowling, not liking the run around.

Snape stiffened automatically at the command. How dare he demand answers like that? He was not their walking encyclopedia. He was only here as a favor to Duo, nothing more.

“Please, Sev?” dull amethyst eyes glanced up at him. “If they’ve found my son, I want him back. I want my baby.”

“For you,” onyx eyes softened as they looked down at his mate. “Duo is a very rare creature known as an Amortentus,” he addressed the other occupants of the room. “As far as I know, with my extensive research on the topic, there is only one born per generation. An Amortentus may be either male or female, but they are usually submissive, and both are able to carry young. They usually mate for life, and with said mate, reproduce. However, if certain circumstances are met, an Amortentus will carry another’s offspring.”

“And what are the circumstances?” Quatre asked curiously.

“If the Amortentus’ life is threatened at the time of their first ‘heat’, if you will,” he continued in his best teacher voice, “and a potential mate has not been found or multiple candidates exist to choose from. However, it has to be within the first ‘heat’, usually taking place around fifteen or sixteen years of age. There is no recorded data on multiple parentage however, but the material available on Amortentus is limited as it is, they are that rare, and hardly ever caught to study. It is conceivable, that if the four of you,” he indicated the other pilots, “had sex with him during his first ‘heat’, his creature side combined the genetic codes to make the strongest possible outcome.”

“Did you?” Une looked at her top three agents and the Winner heir curiously.

“It would’ve had to have been within a week of each other,” Sally Po frowned. “Otherwise it would be impossible for all the genetics to mix.”

“New Edwards,” Duo spoke up, his eyes still rather glassy. “Heero before, Quatre after, and Trowa and Wufei the following day.”

“Why didn’t you mate with one of us?” Wufei asked curiously, not that he wanted to lose his husband or anything but it was an honest question. “Why go to a stranger, if we were the potentials?”

“Lost the baby,” Duo muttered. “Left him with Hilde so I could fight. Couldn’t do it. He was gone, Hilde didn’t remember him. Couldn’t find him again. Can’t face them with my failure.”

“Go get the boy, Sally,” Une commented, causing the braided man to finally snap out of it.

“He’s here,” he sat up, his eyes now unusually bright. “Where?”

Before anyone could answer, the former Deathscythe pilot was out of Severus’ arms and at the door. He wrenched it open and headed out into the hallway.

888888

Harry Potter was waiting quietly in the hallway outside the office Agents Shenlong and Wing disappeared into. He wasn’t sure what was going on. He was still convinced that this was all a dream and that any moment, his aunt would wake him up as she shoved some food through the cat flap. It felt real, but it seemed too good to be true, which usually meant it was.

He looked down at the bandage on his arm, where the lady Agent Shenlong had taken him to see had placed the needle. It hadn’t even hurt, which made his dream theory all the more relevant in his mind. Needles were supposed to hurt, right? Dudley always complained that they did.

“What do you think, Hedwig?” he glanced into the cage that he still had with him. “Am I dreaming?”

The snowy owl gave a soft hoot and ruffled her feathers slightly, as if anxiously awaiting her release from the bars around her. Harry gave a wry smile, if this was a dream her wish wouldn’t come true either, though he wished with all his heart he could grant it. But then again, if it was a dream, why couldn’t he let her free?

With that in mind, he set the cage on the ground and flipped open the latch. He offered his arm to his faithful pet and she lightly hopped onto the proffered perch and began carefully making her way up to his shoulder. Once there, she nuzzled his cheek before starting to lightly preen his hair. How long he sat there petting her, he didn’t know, but he was slowly starting to get bored and began wishing the dream would pick up the pace again.

As if in answer to his call, there was a faint pop to his left that had him whirling around to see what caused it. He gaped as he took in the tall form of his Headmaster. What was Dumbledore doing in his dream?

“Harry,” Dumbledore let out a breath of relief. “Come, my boy. We need to get you back to your Aunt’s house immediately. It’s not safe for you here.”

“Why isn’t it safe here?” Harry frowned. “I’m only dreaming after all. And besides, I feel really safe.”

“Harry, my boy,” the wizened old man gave him a calculating look. “I assure you, you are not dreaming. You are currently in London, and we have to get you back to Surrey as soon as possible.”

“How do you know I’m not dreaming?” Harry countered. “Cause how else would you explain that two of the guys from the Mirror of Erised rescued me from my room at the Dursleys?”

“The Mirror of…” Dumbledore frowned. “Harry, you saw your parents in the Mirror of Erised, not two men.”

“No, I didn’t,” Harry shook his head animatedly. “I saw six guys. And they weren’t Potters, cause Professor Snape was in there too.”

Dumbledore’s frown deepened as he pulled his wand out of his sleeve. This was disturbing news indeed. He wasn’t sure what was going on with Harry, or why he thought he was dreaming, but he could deal with it later. Right now, he had to get the boy back within the protective wards around the Dursleys. With a subtle wave, and a nonverbal spell, the boy slumped forward in his chair, completely unconscious.

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Duo stopped dead once he was clear of the door. He could clearly smell that his son was the boy seated in a chair just outside the door, but the man standing in front of him came as something of a surprise. His eyes widened in horror as his husband’s boss drew his wand and sent a nonverbal stunner at his cub. He saw red in that instant and was across the hall in one bound, standing between Dumbledore and his cub.

He couldn’t help the smirk that crossed his face as he watched those usually twinkling orbs widen in surprise. With a growl, he let his instincts take over, anything to protect his cub now that he had found him. He felt a roar build up inside him and he let it loose, hoping to get the old man away from his cub.

Severus and the others had followed Duo from the room. They all stopped as they watched the confrontation unfold in front of them. Most of them were surprised as they saw Duo shift seamlessly into a large black cat and stand between the old man and the boy. However, the roar that emanated from the feline had five guns and one wand being pulled and aimed at the stranger.

“Albus,” Snape’s voice cut across the hall like a whip. “I would suggest you leave immediately before you end up in Preventer custody. Or worse, if my mate has his way. I don’t know why you have to be such a meddling old fool, but if you don’t desist it will be the last thing you do.”

Dumbledore looked between his Potions Professor to the agents with the guns and then back at the feline before him. He knew when he was outnumbered and outclassed. With an affirmative nod, he disappeared with a faint pop.

As soon as the threat was gone, Duo returned to his normal self and whirled around to assess what was wrong with his son. He almost sagged in relief when he realized it was only a minor stunner that the old fool had cast, and no lasting effects would occur. With a smile, he gathered the waif of a boy into his arms and turned to face the others.

“I’d like you all to meet my son, Yasu Goro Maxwell (1),” he ruffled the boy’s messy black hair, revealing a lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

“Harry Potter?!” Snape hissed under his breath, but it was loud enough for the others to catch anyway.

“The Boy Who Lived?” the others asked in scandalized disbelief as the truth finally hit them.

 

1\. I know that the Japanese don’t have a middle name, but because Duo is American I gave Harry three names… Yasu means peace, and Goro means five son, usually used for the fifth son, but I figured I’d do a little play on it, since Harry is the son of five.


	3. A Place to Call Home

Chapter 2: A Place to Call Home

 

Harry groaned quietly as he started to wake up. He had been having the most pleasant dream and he really didn’t want to leave it, but if his aunt found him sleeping, he’d be in trouble. Then again, would it really hurt if he just remained within his dreams? It’s not like his family would miss him. Weren’t they currently confining him to his room? And he wasn’t even sure if his friends would miss him either, though their lack of correspondence was due to Dobby the house-elf. They wouldn’t miss him too much, they didn’t really know him after all.

_It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live._

Why did Dumbledore’s words have to bother him now? He was content within his little dream world. No one was glaring at him, or staring, or gawking. It was rather nice.

“Come on, Yasu,” a quiet voice broke through his thoughts. “It’s okay. You can wake up now. You’re safe now.”

The voice sounded vaguely familiar, as did the name, but it wasn’t his, he was Harry. A frown marred his features as his eyes slowly blinked open. He found himself staring up into wide amethyst eyes that were gazing fondly down at him, as a hand ran through his unruly hair. His scowl deepened as he recognized the face of one of the ones from the Mirror. Had he truly woken up, or was he still dreaming? It was then that he realized that he was being held on this strange guy’s lap. He jumped up with an eep of surprise.

“Eloquent as always, Potter,” a very familiar voice said from his right.

He whirled around and stared, wide eyed, at his Potions Professor. What was he doing in his dream? True, he’d been in the mirror too, but that didn’t mean anything. Did it?

He shook his head slightly as he took in the other six people in the room. There were the two agents who he’d seen at the Dursleys, and two other men, who he also remembered from the mirror, and then the lady doctor that had taken his blood earlier, and one lady he didn’t know at all.

“Er… where am I?” he asked, addressing the Chinese agent who had actually brought him here.

“You are at Preventer Headquarters, in London, Harry,” Wufei answered, motioning to an empty seat beside him. “Why don’t you have a seat and we’ll introduce ourselves?”

Harry nodded and took a seat between the former Shenlong pilot and his partner. He looked curiously around at the others, waiting, still wondering if this was all a dream or not.

“Mr. Potter,” the woman seated behind the large desk began. “I am Lady Une, Head of the Preventers. You have already met Agents Shenlong and Wing, also known as Wufei Barton-Chang and Heero Yuy,” indicating the two men on either side of him. “To Wufei’s left is his husband, Trowa Barton-Chang, another of my agents, and to Heero’s right is his husband, Quatre Raberba Winner. The final two are Duo Maxwell and his husband, Severus Snape. Now, do you know why my agents have brought you in?”

Harry shook his head, “No, ma’am.”

“That complicates issues,” Une shook her head slightly. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. The Dursleys have been brought into Preventer custody under the charges of child enslavement, neglect, and child endangerment. And I believe kidnapping could very well be placed on the charge list as well.”

“But they didn’t kidnap anyone,” the boy frowned again.

“He is right,” Snape spoke up, before the Head of the Preventers could say anything else. “I’m not saying I doubt the DNA evidence you have presented, but the Dursleys are completely innocent of kidnapping. The boy was left with, what was thought at the time, his only living relatives after his supposed parents died. The Dursleys never wanted the child.”

“Very well,” she scowled at the dour man. “As I was saying, they also failed to follow the Registration Act where you were concerned. As such, you were not in the database. However, thanks to Dr. Po, we have fixed that issue. However, something very interesting came up with the results of your DNA analysis.”

“Okay,” Harry nodded, trying to keep up.

“We have discovered that you are not, in fact, Harry James Potter, as previously believed,” Sally gave him a kind smile.

“But… but I have to be,” he shook his head in denial, reaching up to rub at his scar. “Everyone says I am. They say I look just like my dad, with my mum’s eyes.”

“That’s only what they want to see, cub,” Duo said, moving over to crouch in front of Harry. “Cause I can tell you exactly where you got everything from.”

“No,” Harry continued to shake his head and began rocking back and forth. “No, no, no, no! This isn’t happening. It’s just a dream! Time to wake up, Harry! Wake up!”

Heero frowned as he watched as the boy was obviously going into a state of shock. Prussian blue eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the panicked display. If this boy did indeed share some of his DNA, this was unacceptable. With that thought in mind, he reached over and pinched Harry’s arm, hard enough to bruise.

“Owww!” Harry yelped in pain, as his eyes flew to the former Wing pilot and his hand rose to rub at the sore spot. “What’d you do that for?”

“You’re not dreaming,” he stated plainly, drawing his gun and aiming it directly in an angry Duo’s face, who had tried to lunge at him. “Don’t even think about it, Duo.”

“As I was saying,” Lady Une cleared her throat, “you are not the son of James and Lily Potter, as previously believed. However, we have found your parents, as strange as the circumstances surrounding the outcome are.”

“They weren’t? So who are my parents?” emerald eyes widened in surprise. “Can I stay with them? Do I have to go back to the Dursleys?”

“That is entirely up to the five of them,” Une’s eyes sparkled with a hidden triumph. “However, I’m sure they would like to discuss things with you before it is decided where you will be staying.”

“He’ll come home with me, of course,” the braided man said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You guys should think about coming to visit sometime, like never.”

Lady Une’s eyes narrowed dangerously behind her spectacles, “If you continue in that vein, Maxwell, you will be cut off from your son’s life entirely.”

“But… but…” Duo’s mouth dropped open in shocked surprise. “You can’t do that! He’s my son!”

“I can and I will,” she countered, an evil smirk crossing her features. “As a matter of fact, I believe it would be in Harry’s best interest if I place him with Quatre. As I understand it, he has several estates throughout the Earth Sphere and the Colonies that would accommodate the seven of you quite nicely.”

“That sounds practical,” the blond nodded. “That way we can all be close to Harry, if we wanted to,” looking specifically at the braided man. “The decision now is where shall we all go.”

“If I may inject my professional opinion,” the Potions Master said with a measured voice. “Harry still needs to attend school. He has already completed one successful year at Hogwarts. May I be so bold as to suggest he continue there. It is one of the best schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Europe.”

“That is entirely up to his fathers,” Lady Une looked around at the five former pilots.

“I do not see a problem with that,” Wufei said quietly. “As long as an exception could be made for the five of us to be present as well.”

“You would have to take that up with the Headmaster,” Severus waved his hands noncommittally. “I do not have the authority to grant or deny that request.”

“We’ll work that out later, Wufei,” Quatre shook his head. “Right now, I think we should take Harry home. It’s a lot to take in right now, and he’s feeling overwhelmed.”

“I think he’s right, Lady Une,” the doctor spoke up. “It would be best if he was taken out of Headquarters at the present time.”

“Very well, Quatre,” Lady Une nodded. “You and Heero may take Harry to your estate. I’m sure the others will join you soon enough.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the blond smiled before extending his hand to the boy seated next to his lover. “Come on, Harry, let’s get you home.”

Wide emerald orbs stared up at the Arabian as their owner shifted to his left. His hand reached out without his conscious thought and latched on to the fabric of Wufei’s shirt sleeve, as if afraid to leave his side. A larger hand covered his, causing Harry’s gaze to shift to the former Shenlong pilot.

“You have nothing to fear, Harry,” the others, apart from Trowa, had never heard Wufei’s voice sound so gentle. “No harm will come to you in their care. And I’m sure the rest of us will be there before the day is out.”

Harry nodded slowly, as he reluctantly released his grip on Wufei’s sleeve. He didn’t want to go, but he didn’t really have any choice in the matter. He ignored the still outstretched hand and got to his feet. Heero stood up and, taking the blond’s hand, led the way out of the room.

“What’s the matter, Potter?” Snape sneered as the boy turned to look back once more from the doorway. “You can stand toe to toe with danger, but you can’t follow two men across town without someone holding your hand?”

“That’s enough out of you, Severus Snape,” Duo smacked his mate upside the head. “Don’t listen to him, Yasu. You’ll be fine, they’ll take good care of you, or they’ll have me to deal with.”

Harry’s eyes widened at the almost feral look that crossed the former Deathscythe pilot’s features before he turned, once again, and fled the room. He could feel the tears stinging the back of his eyes. Why had he acted so weak in front of his most hated professor? He angrily wiped at his eyes as he followed Heero and Quatre down the hall. He wouldn’t cry, he wouldn’t give Snape, or his husband, the satisfaction.

Heero paused momentarily on his trek down the hall to heave Harry’s trunk onto his shoulder before continuing to the elevator. Quatre was on his cellphone, calling for his car to be brought around to the front of the building. Harry followed silently, still trying to gain control of himself, but it was a losing battle.

When they finally entered the elevator, Quatre gasped as his hand flew to his heart and tears filled his eyes. Heero silently put the trunk down and was at his husband’s side in an instant, enveloping him in a hug, his eyes flying to the only other person in the lift with them; Harry. The boy in question backed up against the mirrored wall, his eyes once again wide, this time in confused horror as he met the Prussian blue depths.

“I didn’t mean to,” Harry sobbed. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Heero, stop,” the former Sandrock pilot scolded quietly. “You’re scaring him.”

The brunet looked down at his lover, then nodded and stepped to the other side of the lift next to the trunk. Quatre turned to Harry, falling to his knees in front of him, tears still streaming down his cheeks.

“Harry,” he placed his hands gently on the boy’s shoulders, “I need you to calm down. Take deep breaths,” he inhaled deeply, guiding Harry to do the same, and exhaled slowly. “That’s it. In and out. You’re okay. You’re safe. You’re not in trouble. You just need to calm down.”

He wrapped his arms around the smaller than average boy and held him close to his chest, still keeping his breathing steady. When the elevator reached the lobby, Quatre slowly pushed to a standing position, Harry still cradled to his chest, still trying to maintain his breathing. He carried him out of the lift and toward the main door, that Heero was holding open for them.

Harry didn’t really noticed as he was strapped into a seat in the back of a sleek black car, nor as they took off down the street, away from the Preventers office. No, he noticed none of this as he focused on his breathing, anything to keep his thoughts of Snape and his scary husband at bay. He did notice, however, the house they pulled up in front of when he was ushered out of the car.

“Welcome home, Harry,” the blond smiled down at him.

His mouth just fell open in shock. He didn’t care at the moment if he looked like a complete and utter idiot; this place was massive. The house had to be four stories tall, at least, and that wasn’t counting the many off buildings and what looked like a stable on the grounds. He registered the chuckling coming from the two men on either side of him, but he was too stunned to care. It wasn’t until he felt a gentle prod on his back that his feet began moving him forward, toward the place that was to be his new home.

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The four men left in Lady Une’s office stared after the boy for several minutes before anyone dared break the rather awkward silence.

“Way to go, Maxwell,” Wufei mocked the braided man. “He’s now scared of you.”

Within two strides, Duo was in front of the former Shenlong pilot. He reached down and latched on to his Preventer jacket, lifting him out of his seat until they were eye level.

“Take it back, Wufei,” he snarled.

A dark brow rose in incredulous disbelief, “Is it not your motto to not tell lies? Unless of course you want me to lie to you.”

“No,” the former Deathscythe pilot shook his head, not releasing his captive. “It can’t be true. It just can’t be.”

“You know it’s true, Maxwell,” the Chinese agent scoffed. “You and your husband scare the shit out of that boy and yet you do nothing to prevent it from happening.”

“No,” amethyst eyes closed as tears began pouring down his cheeks. “He can’t be. He’s my baby.”

He buried his face in Wufei’s chest as sobs raked his entire body. Almost immediately, Severus got to his feet and was at his mate’s side, gathering him into his arms. He began rubbing Duo’s back gently, trying to get him to calm down, while the others in the room just watched in no small amount of shock. None of them had seen the self proclaimed Shinigami break down like that before.

“I have to be there for him, Sev,” the braided man’s muffled voice emanated from the area of Severus’ chest. “I won’t let him be scared of me.”

“I know,” the Potions Master said reassuringly. “And I’ll do better to keep myself in check around him.”

“We have to go to him, Sev,” watery amethyst eyes locked with onyx. “We have to make him see.”

“And we will,” Severus nodded.

“Thank you,” Duo stood on tiptoe and placed a tender kiss on the dour man’s lips.

“You know I can deny you nothing, love,” onyx eyes softened as he pulled his mate closer.

“Shall we go then?” Trowa said quietly, interrupting the slightly awkward moment as he pushed to his feet and slipping his arm around Wufei’s waist. “I’m sure Quatre and Heero are getting Harry settled in as we speak. And I for one would like to get to know my son.”


	4. Accepting the Truth

Chapter 3: Accepting the Truth

 

“Wufei?” the tall unibanged Preventer glanced out of the corner of his eye at his husband, who was currently sitting in the passenger seat of his truck.

“Trowa,” the Chinese man didn’t take his eyes off the road ahead of them, even though he wasn’t driving.

“Talk to me,” Trowa reached over and gently picked up his lover’s hand and entwined their fingers. “How did you know?”

“Know what?” the former Shenlong pilot sighed, running his free hand along his scalp and scowling as his hair came loose.

“About the boy?”

“Oh, that,” Wufei squeezed his husband’s hand before extricating his own so he could fix his ponytail. “When I walked into that room that he was being kept in, I saw his eyes. It was like looking into yours, behind those hideous glasses. I brushed it off at first as foolish sentimentality.”

“Of course,” emerald eyes danced with suppressed mirth, trust his stubborn dragon to come up with any excuse like that.

“I took him downstairs, to get him out of the house,” his hand returned to the middle seat and his husband’s, since the raven hair was once again trapped in its impossibly tight tail. “As is standard procedure, I informed Heero of my plans to take him to the car. Heero came out of the other room, for what reason I’m not sure, took one look at him and said something that had been niggling at the back of my mind since I first laid eyes on him. He called him Duo.”

“He does bear a striking resemblance to Duo,” Trowa nodded, a slight frown creasing his forehead.

“But once again, it was his eyes,” the Asian Preventer shook his head slightly and continued. “There is no denying that they are yours. And if my estimation of his birth was correct, it could’ve corresponded with our time at the circus, after I failed to kill Treize.”

The former Heavyarms pilot’s brow furrowed further before smoothing out in comprehension, “Oh.”

“I thought why not,” Wufei smirked. “Every time we come together and have sex, we run the risk of getting pregnant, due to our magical bases, and your creature side. Why couldn’t Duo have been the same? I wasn’t going to say anything until it was proven, but after it was I was going to demand that Une give us custody, since it appeared to be obvious that Duo wasn’t going to take care of him. That was proven false though.”

“So you had no idea about the Amortentus thing,” it was more of a statement than a question, but Wufei took it as such.

“No,” the raven haired man scowled. “That was new. But I can’t say I am complaining. It makes the boy my son as well.”

“As well as Heero and Quatre’s, apparently,” Trowa offered a wry smile.

“Yes, that too,” onyx eyes rolled slightly. “Together we will make it up to that boy.”

“I know,” Trowa squeezed his husband’s hand one last time before putting the truck in park and cutting the engine. They had arrived.

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Harry lay on his back in the bedroom that he had been shown to. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he knew he didn’t want to be around his hosts any longer than he had to be. He hadn’t even known the blond angel very long, but he had already sent him to tears. What he really wanted was for Agent Shenlong, or rather Mr. Barton-Chang, to show up. He didn’t know why, but he trusted the Chinese man to keep his word.

He was brought from his musings by a soft knocking on his door. He quickly scrambled to his feet and hurried over to answer it. He didn’t want his hosts to think him rude or anything, on top of everything else.

“Oh, Harry,” the blond was there, smiling down at him, just like his vision in the Mirror, “there you are. The others have just arrived and we’ll be having lunch in a few minutes. If you would go wash up, I’ll wait here and escort you to the dining room.”

“Yes, sir,” the small wizard nodded and hastily moved to comply, completely missing the frown that crossed the man’s face at his words and actions.

He returned from his en-suite bathroom not five minutes later and followed Quatre down the stairs and into the dining room, where the other five men from before were already seated and waiting. He hesitated in the doorway for a moment at the sight of his Potions professor, but quickly shook it off. He squared his shoulders and held his head high, he wasn’t going to cower in front of Snape, he was a Gryffindor after all.

“Why don’t you go sit next to Wufei?” the Winner heir suggested with a gentle hand to the boy’s back to propel him forward.

Harry nodded slightly and began making his way over to the seat between the Chinese agent and the tall brunet. When he reached his seat, he couldn’t help but shyly return the smile the agent was sending his way.

“Harry,” the man on his left spoke quietly, and Harry, slightly startled, turned his full attention to him. “Relax, little one, no one’s going to hurt you. I don’t know if you remember Lady Une introducing us before, but I am Trowa Barton-Chang. I’m sure the others will introduce themselves in again in a bit. Before they do, however, I’m going to ask you to be patient with us. None of us have done this before.”

“Done what?” emerald eyes blinked confusedly behind the glasses, somehow this new person wasn’t as scary as the others.

“None of us have been parents before, Harry,” Quatre spoke up from his spot just to the right of Heero, who was at the head of the table. “We’re all learning here. But I know we’ll make it work.”

“Okay,” Harry frowned, still very much confused. “But which one of you is my dad?”

“Don’t ya get it, kiddo?” the braided man at the far end grinned. “We all are.”

“But that’s not possible,” the frown deepened. “Don’t I need a mom?”

He may not know the fundamentals of childbirth, but he did know that everyone had one mom and one dad. Sometimes they weren’t always together, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have one.

“Nope, cause you’re special like that,” Duo shook his head emphatically. “You got something better than a mom, you got five dads, well, six if you count Sev here.”

“No,” Harry shook his head wildly, that didn’t make any sense.

“That’s enough, Harry,” Wufei’s calm voice and his hand on the boy’s shoulder stopped all movement. “I know it’s confusing. But you have to trust us. Sometimes, when a couple of the same gender possess enough magic between them, they can have children. Due to Duo being a magical creature, you were created from the DNA of all five of us. You are our son.”

“So it’s magic?” the Boy-Who-Lived asked, amazed. “Wait, you know about magic?”

“Yes,” the former Shenlong pilot smirked. “All of us here have magic, in one form or another. I, myself, am a fully qualified wizard, as is Heero, though his magic also manifests itself in his healing ability. If we were to duel, I might have the advantage in spell work, but he has the advantage in stamina.”

“Okay,” Harry nodded slowly, taking it all in. “So you’re smarter and he’s stronger?”

The reaction to this innocent statement was instantaneous: Heero turned blank blue eyes on the boy, Quatre covered his mouth to stifle his giggles, while Trowa coughed quietly, clearly amused, and Duo snorted his drink all over the table.

“Basically,” onyx eyes rolled slightly in good humor. “Quatre, on the other hand, is an empath, and has a strong mental capacity. This means that he can not only read people emotions, but also, if he tried, could get inside someone’s head and read their minds. He also has very strong mental defenses of his own.”

“Is that why…?” green eyes turned to stare at the blond.

“Yes, Harry, that’s why I was upset earlier,” Quatre smiled gently. “Apparently, my normal shields don’t work around you.”

“Oh,” Harry bowed his head. “I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Heero spoke up for the first time. “You didn’t know.”

“Okay,” he shrunk into himself a bit at this, something they all noticed, but would let slide for now, they had all the time in the world to correct the things done to this boy in the past.

“Trowa and Duo are easier, yet harder to explain,” Wufei sighed quietly, bringing things back to the topic at hand. “They are both magical creatures.”

“What?!” amethyst eyes widened as they landed on the unibanged man. “No way? What’re you?”

“I’m an elf,” the former clown supplied calmly.

“Nuh uh, no way,” Duo shook his head animatedly. “You can’t be an elf. You ain’t got the ears. So there.”

“I am a high elf, Duo,” the one visible green eye narrowed slightly, as if its owner were highly insulted. “I wear a glamour to keep them hidden, unlike you and your mating mark.”

“Enough,” Prussian blue eyes shifted coldly between the two creatures.

Trowa straightened imperiously in his chair, as Duo slouched lower, his arms crossed over his chest in a pout. Heero then motioned for Wufei to continue, as if there hadn’t been an interruption at all.

“As I was saying,” the scholar had risen and was now refusing to be silent, “Trowa is, as he stated, an elf. Elves, in general, are creatures of nature and that is where they derive their magic. High elves, such as Trowa, are not restricted to a specific area or type of nature to make their magic work, like wood elves who are strongest within the forest and among the trees. High elves are also capable of performing simple wizarding spells, but they do not use a wand as a medium.”

“I see,” Harry nodded, that was easy enough. “Are they anything like house-elves? Cause I don’t like them very much.”

“No,” the unibanged man frowned. “House-elves are an entirely different race of creature.”

“Okay,” the boy cowered lower in his seat, hoping he didn’t turn Trowa’s anger on himself with his question.

“Now, Duo,” Wufei cleared his throat, “is an Amortentus, if his mate is to be believed.”

“Don’t you dare, Wufei,” amethyst eyes narrowed dangerously as Duo growled down the table. “Don’t you dare insult my mate’s integrity.”

“Duo,” Snape’s cold voice was quiet, but carried across the room easily, “it’s not worth it. He is entitled to his own opinion.”

“Amortentus are exceedingly rare,” the Chinese agent shook his head, glaring slightly at the braided man for his interruption. “It is rumored that there is only one per generation. They are creatures of pure lust and love. It is said that their essence is what inspired the creation of the Amortentia potion, as their scent is supposedly unique to each individual they come across. They are rumored to be quite social creatures, as they feed off heightened emotions, much like a dementors but without the draining quality. They are also often mistaken for incubi and succubi.”

“Ookaay,” Duo blushed scarlet. “That’s enough, Wuffers, we don’t want to overwhelm the cub, here. Why don’t you head upstairs and unpack, Yasu, us grownups need to have a word or two.”

“Um, okay,” Harry frowned, and then looked around at the assembled adults, worrying his lip slightly.

“Did you need something, Harry?” Quatre asked quietly, feeling the uncertainty radiating off the boy.

“Um, I was wondering if I could use the phone,” he bowed his head, his voice barely above a whisper. “I wanted to call a friend of mine.”

“That’s fine,” the blond beamed. “You go right ahead. Remember, this is your home now.”

“Thank you,” he muttered, but still hesitated to leave the room.

“Was there something else?” Wufei placed his hand gently on his son’s shoulder, still not quite used to that fact.

“Um,” Harry bit his lip harder, “I don’t know her phone number. But I know she has one.”

“It is called a phone book, Potter,” Snape rolled his eyes in slight annoyance. “I’m sure you are familiar with one. Miss Granger will undoubtedly be listed within its pages. Then again, with your history, it would probably escape the grasp of your puerile brain.”

Five sets of eyes turned and glared at the Potions Master, while Harry slumped lower in his chair. He quickly blinked back a wave of angry and bitter tears. It wasn’t his fault that Hermione hadn’t given him her number, nor that the Dursleys had never let him near the phone, much less use it.

“Harry,” Quatre’s tone was deceptively soft as he turned his attention to the boy, but the other pilots knew that ZERO was simmering just beneath the surface, “come along. I’ll help you find your friend’s number.”

As soon as the door closed behind the pair, Duo turned hurt, incredulous eyes on his husband.

“Severus, you promised,” the braided man’s voice was even more pitiful than his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” the Potions Master sighed, pulling his mate into his arms. “I am trying. Though you should know better than anyone, some habits are harder to break than others.”

“Mr. Snape,” the former Sandrock pilot’s voice was cold as he returned to the room and closed the door behind him, the others instinctively sat up straighter in slight anxiety. “You would do well to remember that you are a guest within my house and I reserve the right to kick your sorry ass out at any point in time. So you will watch your tongue around my son. This will be your only warning. If you hurt that boy in any way, be it physically or emotionally, I will destroy you.”

“Quatre,” Heero said quietly.

“No, Heero,” the blond didn’t even shift his gaze away from his intended target. “I will not tolerate his attitude within my house.”

“Quatre,” the shaggy haired brunet got to his feet and went over to his lover, wrapping his arms around him protectively, “calm down.” Prussian blue eyes then turned and landed squarely on Snape, “You upset anyone else in my family, Omae o kurosu (1).”

The cold, dead tone of the former Wing pilot sent shivers down everyone’s spines, including the Potions Master, who wasn’t sure what was said, but knew it was meant as a threat. He’d have to do a much better job of controlling his tongue from now on, those two in particular were almost more terrifying than his mate on a rampage, going by the title Shinigami.

888888

Harry held the phone to his ear as it rang. He had been rather impressed with how easily the blond, Quatre, had found Hermione’s number and placed the call for him. So now he was alone in the hallway, waiting for someone at his friend’s house to pick up. Well, hopefully it was his friend’s house.

~Granger residence, this is Jean speaking,~ a woman’s voice finally answered.

“Um, hello,” the boy said nervously, “um I was wondering if Hermione was there?”

~May I ask who’s calling?~ Jean asked kindly.

“Um, this is Harry,” he bit his lip. “I’m a friend of Hermione’s, from school.”

~Of course, just a moment please.~

Harry waited patiently, trying desperately to calm his breathing. He wasn’t sure about this anymore. While, yes, he wanted to talk to Hermione, this was just too nerve-wracking.

~Hello?~ a very familiar female voice came on the line.

“Hermione,” he laughed quietly, glad that he had the right number.

~Harry!~ Hermione said anxiously. ~Where are you? What’s been going on? We’ve been really worried about you. Ron was talking about doing something drastic. Why haven’t you been writing us back?~

“It’s a very long story, Hermione,” Harry leaned against the wall and slipped slowly to the floor so he was now seated. “But I haven’t written because a house-elf stopped my mail. And the Dursleys locked Hedwig in her cage. I got in trouble with the Ministry cause the house-elf, Dobby, did magic and the Dursleys locked me in my room.”

~What?~ his best friend sounded truly upset. ~How are you calling? Do we need to come and get you?~

“No, Hermione, that’s not needed,” he sighed. “I’m not at the Dursleys anymore. The Preventers came and took me away. And I’m currently at my dads’ house.”

~But Harry,~ Hermione was frowning, he could tell, ~your parents are dead.~

“Actually, they’re not, according to the Preventers,” Harry shrugged, not that she could see it. “They said that I wasn’t related to the Potters or the Dursleys. And I have five dads…” he muttered the last quietly.

~WHAT?!~ he had to hold the phone away from his ear so he didn’t bust an eardrum. ~Harry, you know that’s not possible. It’s just inconceivable. Five men can’t have a child together, it’s physically impossible.~

“Well, magic was involved, and creatures,” the raven haired wizard sighed. “I don’t get it either, but that’s what they said, and I believe them. Two of them are wizards, one’s an empath, and the other two are creatures, a High Elf and an Amortentus. Maybe I can get them to explain it to you later, I’m sure we’ll see each other soon. I mean, I’m gonna have to go shopping for school and everything.”

~I’ll look into it and see if I can’t find anything on the subject,~ Hermione said, taking a deep breath. ~And if nothing else, we’ll see each other on the train. I’m planning on going to Diagon Alley a week from Wednesday, so maybe we can plan to meet there. I’ll write Ron and let him know that you’re okay.~

“Okay, I’ll see if I can’t go at that point,” he replied. “And thanks, Hermione. Oh, and I think you can call me at this number… um, I don’t know it, but I’ll try and call again and I’ll have it then. I’ll talk to you later.”

~Alright, bye Harry.~

“Bye,” he said quietly before he ended the call and placed the phone back on its charger.

He stood there for a moment in indecision. He didn’t want to bother the adults, as Duo had said they needed to talk. He was kind tired, and he did have his things to put away. With that thought in mind, he made his way up the stairs to his new bedroom.

 

1\. I’ll kill you in Japanese


	5. A Trip to Diagon Alley

If He’s Anything Like Me

By Ammie Hawk

 

Disclaimer: LIFE!!! THERE IS LIFE!!!

 

AN: So, I haven’t died… neither have any of my fics, I’ve just been going through a lot of RL stuff and haven’t had much time for writing. Anyway, I had hoped to have this up yesterday as my Christmas present to my readers, but I didn’t finish writing it till after ten and typing it up took longer, thus my posting it today. Anyway, happy belated Christmas, hope your holidays are well.

 

Chapter 4: A Trip to Diagon Alley

 

Dumbledore sat behind his desk in the headmaster’s office of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry silently seething. Not only was his pawn out of his control, thanks to the meddling of the Muggles, but his most trusted and till now loyal spy was rebelling against him. That he blamed solely on that _creature_ his Potions Master had been bewitched into mating with. If Severus had just focused his attention on Lily Potter instead of taking in the Veela boy he’d found then none of this would be happening.

Well, all that aside, he could fix things, it wasn’t too late. Harry Potter was still coming back to Hogwarts in the fall, and he could get him back. All he had to do was separate the boy from those who had taken him from the Dursleys and send him back there when the summer came around again. Now he had a plan, all he had to do was gently coax the boy back into the fold. The Weasleys could help with that, the youngest boy was already a big influence over Harry, all he had to do was convince the redheads that what he was doing was in Harry’s best interest and they’d be eating out of his hand. And perhaps he could throw a little extra money their way as well.

With those thoughts in mind, the twinkle returned to his eyes and he popped a lemon drop into his mouth. It would take a little time, but he was a very patient man after all. Things would work out in his favor, he would make sure of it.

He had just decided to write the Weasleys a note, asking for their assistance, when an owl flew in through his open window. He recognized the official seal on the letter as the bird landed on his desk and held out its leg. It was from the Board of Governors. As soon as he removed the letter, the owl took off the way it had come, indicating there was no need for a response. With that thought in mind, he broke the seal and pulled out the letter and began to read.

 

_To Headmaster Albus Dumbledore,_

_Due to recent events within Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and also due to your lack of finding a suitable teacher for the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts, we, the Board of Governors, have decided to evoke our right to staffing appointments. As such we have appointed Heero Yuy to the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor._

_Also, in light of several complaints from concerned parents and dropping O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. scores, we are also giving Professor Binns his much deserved retirement and are filling the position of History of Magic Professor with Wufei Barton-Chang._

_Hoping this letter finds you well,_

_The Hogwarts Board of Governors_

 

There were all twelve signatures, so there was literally nothing he could do to overturn this course of action. In a fit of uncontrollable rage, Dumbledore swiped his hand across the top of his desk, shattering all the little gizmos and sending the letter fluttering to the floor. This was unprecedented and swift, it made him wonder if the governors had some scheme up their sleeves. He took a deep breath to gain control again. It was no matter, he would deal with things accordingly. After all, everyone said the Defense Against the Dark Arts job was cursed, this new professor wouldn’t last longer than the year, and things would be back within his control once again.

888888

It had taken awhile for the former pilots to readjust to each other, as some of them hadn’t even seen each other since the end of the Mariemaya Uprising. However, by the following Wednesday, things around the house had settled into a tentative routine for all members.

The mornings began with Wufei being the first to rise, following the training routine he had had since he was younger than Harry. The next up would be Heero, who would grab something to eat from the kitchen and then set up his laptop and do whatever it was he did on the machine. Severus and Trowa followed shortly, with the latter starting on making breakfast for the others. Shortly after, Harry would get up and go to the kitchen, where Trowa and Wufei, who had by that point finished his exercises, would already be eating and would be given a plate of food to eat and then told to start on his summer homework. Quatre was the next, and after he had eaten something, would disappear into his office and begin working. Duo was always the last to rise, around lunchtime, when all the members of the house would meet up in the dining room for the noon meal and then separate again to their various pursuits. Through all this, Harry had managed to keep to himself and out of everyone’s way, spending most of his time in the room that had been given to him, much to the disappointment of his newfound family.

However, the routine changed on the following Wednesday, after Harry had asked if that could be the day they go to Diagon Alley for his school supplies. The adults had agreed, since three of them needed to get their own supplies for the coming term. On this morning, everyone was up just after dawn, preparing for their trip into town. After a rather hasty breakfast, they made their way out front where a large black SUV was waiting for them. Heero got behind the wheel while the others organized themselves in the other seats, Harry ending up between Trowa and Wufei.

When they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, the Muggle entrance to Diagon Alley, they all exited the vehicle and made their way into the pub. There were several people within the Leaky Cauldron, as it was almost the start of term for Hogwarts, though most notably was a family of redheads all huddled close to the fireplace. As they made their way toward the back, the youngest male redhead broke off from the group and made his way over to them.

“Harry!” he said rather loudly.

“Ron!” the raven haired boy turned to his best friend. “It’s good to see you.”

“We’ve been worried about you, mate,” Ron put his arm around Harry’s shoulders. “Hermione said you called her and were fine, but we haven’t heard from you. And Dumbledore wrote saying you’d left the Dursleys.”

“Why would Dumbledore write to your family?” Harry frowned.

“We will figure that out soon,” the tall unibanged man put his hand on his son’s shoulder. “Right now, though, the others are waiting for us in the alley.”

“Right,” the boy gave a nervous half smile. “We should go. I-I’ll see you later, Ron.”

“Wait!” the redhead grabbed his arm. “You don’t have to go with him! You can come shopping with me and my family. Then you’re coming home with us, Mum and Dad said so.”

“I believe that is a discussion for the parents,” Trowa’s brow lowered in his version of a frown. “Come, Harry.”

He gave Harry a nudge toward the door, clearly done with the conversation. Ron, however, clearly wasn’t as he didn’t let go of the brunet’s arm.

“No! Who do you think you are? I’m his best friend.”

“And I am his father,” the former Heavyarms pilot said, lifting Harry up into his arms and leaving the pub.

As they made it to the small alcove that marked the entrance to Diagon Alley, Harry started to squirm slightly.

“I can walk you know,” he pouted, though he was secretly enjoying the attention and was very pleased that Trowa had claimed him as his son.

“I am aware,” the elf shifted the boy to his hip and touched the wall with his right hand, causing the bricks to shift. “Your friend was just being obstinate and some of the others aren’t very patient. Now as to what he was saying, I’m sure he can join us for shopping, however I don’t think the others will agree to you spending the rest of the summer at their house. I know I don’t.”

“I-I understand,” Harry looked down.

It’s not that he wanted to go to the Weasleys, he actually liked his dads’ house, he just didn’t know how to act around them. With the Dursleys things had been easy, he just had to pretend he wasn’t there, and at Hogwarts he blended into the crowd, for the most part.

Trowa didn’t say anything else as he rejoined the others and neither did Harry. The fact that the unibanged man was still carrying the boy earned various reactions from the group. Heero quirked an eyebrow in some amusement, Quatre and Wufei both wore soft smiles, Severus rolled his eyes and scoffed quietly, while Duo pouted with jealousy.

“So,” Quatre said jovially, “where should we go to first? I suggest the bank. There are several matters we have to attend to there, aside from getting money for the day.”

“Excuse me,” the redheaded woman from the pub interrupted before anything else could be said.

“May we help you?” Wufei asked incredulously.

“Harry, dear,” she looked at the raven haired boy, “why don’t you go over with Arthur and the boys. He’ll take you to Gringotts and you can do your shopping with Ron. I would like to have a word with these gentlemen.”

“Quatre, take Harry ahead to the bank,” the former Wing pilot said, his voice laced with steel.

The blond nodded and moved to take the boy from the former clown’s arms. Before the transfer could happen, another voice cut in.

“Trowa, go with him,” Wufei said, pulling a key ring from his pocket and tossing it to the unibanged male. “We’ll handle this.”

Trowa nodded as he caught the keys one handed. Without another word, the trio took off up the street, heading toward the glistening white marble building at the end of the street, Harry still held securely in Trowa’s arms.

Molly Weasley made a noise of protest, before squaring her shoulders and turning her attention back to the others.

“Gentlemen,” she said patiently, “I think there has been some sort of misunderstanding. You see, Harry is a good friend of my youngest son, and we know that he lives with his aunt and uncle, but we have gotten permission to have Harry come spend the rest of the summer with us. So whatever obligation you think you have is now over, we’ll take it from here.”

“Who do you think you are, onna?!” the Chinese man snarled, before anyone else could say anything, though Duo had opened his mouth. “You have no right to talk to us like that! If you cared for that boy as much as you are pretending to, we would not have found him a little over a week and a half ago locked in his bedroom at his supposed aunt and uncle’s house. Do not tell us our obligation to your son is over, the obligation you had, and emphasis on had, you failed. Now back off before I make you.”

The redhead puffed up her chest, like a raging hen, and opened her mouth to start what was sure to be an impressive rant when she was cut off by a deceptively smooth voice.

“Molly,” Snape stepped between the woman and the three former pilots, “I would suggest you desist. You don’t seem to realize who you are about to piss off. You see, you are about to piss off five of the most volatile men in the entire galaxy by coming between them and their progeny. So, I would suggest you turn around and go back to your family while they return to theirs. Come, Duo, we have business to attend to.”

He grabbed Duo’s arm and began leading him off in the direction of the bank. The other two pilots spared the Weasley matriarch one last condescending look before following the pair down the street. When they reached the stone steps of the bank, they found Quatre, Trowa and Harry talking to a couple and a young bushy haired girl.

“Oh, there you are,” the blond grinned. “Heero, I’d like you to meet Hugo and Jean Granger, and their daughter Hermione. This is my husband, Heero. And that is Wufei, he’s Trowa’s husband.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Mr. Granger shook hands with the two other pilots. “Our daughter has told us a lot about your son. They are very good friends.”

“That’s good,” Heero nodded. “However, I believe we have business to attend to in the bank, so we should be going.”

“Right,” Mr. Granger agreed. “We probably should head in as well. We have quite a day ahead of us.”

The two families made their way inside, followed by the Weasleys The Grangers made their way over to a free teller to exchange money, while the redheads, as well as Snape and Duo, were led off by another pair of goblins to retrieve money from their vaults, Quatre, however, led the remaining group to a rather astute goblin that was sitting a little ways back from the main desks.

“Excuse me, Ragnok?” the blond said politely. “I believe we have an appointment.”

“Ah, Mr. Winner,” the goblin gave the group a shrewd look, “yes, if you will follow me.”

He pushed to his feet and led them all through a door to his right, which turned out to be a lavish office. It was obvious, however, that this was not a room used for large groups, such as themselves as there were only three chairs, aside from the one the goblin had taken behind the desk. Quatre, Heero, and Trowa took these, the latter sitting Harry on his lap, with Wufei taking up position behind his husband.

“Now, Mr. Winner, how can Gringotts help you today?” Ragnok pulled a large leather bound ledger from a drawer and set it on the desk.

“Well, there are several matters I’d like to discuss today,” the former Sandrock pilot began. “As I stated in my letter, this also involves the Barton-Chang accounts.”

“You did,” the goblin nodded. “And as they are present, and if I have their permission, I can discuss this with you.”

“You have our permission,” the unibanged man answered, knowing the goblin trusted his word over his hot tempered husband.

“Very well,” he pulled another ledger out. “You may proceed, Mr. Winner.”

“First, I’d like this taken from my account and put into a trust fund,” Quatre slid a piece of paper across the desk.

The goblin took the paper, nodded and started writing in the first ledger. “And whose name will this account go under?” Here he looked up at the other people in the room.

Aqua eyes turned to regard the youngest member of their makeshift family. They hadn’t had the opportunity to discuss a name change or if that was even something he would want. He shook his head, that would be something they discussed later, after the chibi had warmed up to them a bit more.

“For now, put it under the name Harry Potter. If that changes in the future we will let you know.”

“Very well,” Ragnok’s eyes darted in Harry’s direction and lingered for a moment on his scar before going back to his book. “It will be taken care of immediately.”

“Thank you,” the blond nodded. “Now, secondly,” he pulled a file out of a bag Heero had with him, “both Heero and I have adjusted our wills. All monetary donations to various charities shall remain, however, all properties, share holdings, and physical assets, as well as monetary assets remaining will go to Harry Potter.”

“That all seems to be in order,” the goblin accepted the file and gave it a quick once over. “I will have a new will drafted up and sent to you before the day is out. Was there anything else?”

“For me, no,” Quatre shook his head. “I will turn it over to the Barton-Changs now.”

Ragnok nodded once more and took up the second ledger turning his gaze to Trowa and Wufei.

“We would also like these funds added to the trust fund set up for Harry Potter,” Trowa said, as Wufei stepped forward and handed the goblin a paper. “Also, we would like to change our will so that Harry Potter is the sole beneficiary. And we’d also like to make a withdrawal from our vault.”

The Chinese man handed over a second file as well as another paper. The goblin accepted them, looked them over and then tapped a bell on his desk.

“Right,” Quatre smiled slightly. “I need to make a withdrawal as well.”

Ragnok nodded again as another goblin entered the office. Within ten minutes they were on their way out of the bank with their now full money pouches. Harry had remained silent during the entire meeting, having not really understood what was going on. It was as they finally reemerged into the sunlight that he finally spoke up.

“Wait!” he protested, looking back at the bank over Trowa’s shoulder, as he had yet to be put down. “I didn’t get any money. How am I supposed to buy my stuff for school?”

“Harry,” Quatre turned to look at him, “we are your parents. As such, it is our responsibility to take care of you, and that includes your school supplies.”

“With that being said,” Wufei interjected, “I feel our time would be best spent if we divided up. I know Heero needs a few things from Knockturn Alley, and I have a few bookstores to visit. Harry more than likely needs robes and potions supplies, as well as his books for the new term.”

“We’ll get the potions stuff,” Duo interrupted, having just joined the group with Severus. “Sev needs to get his own, so it’ll be easier that way.”

“Trowa, didn’t you have a few things you needed to get as well?” his husband inquired.

“Right,” the unibanged man nodded.

“That leaves Quatre to take Harry to get his robes,” Heero looked around at all of them, motioning for the blond to take the chibi. “We’ll meet up at Flourish and Blotts in one hour.”

The other five nodded and they all took off for their specified destinations. Hermione and Ron joined Quatre and Harry just as they were finishing up at Madam Malkins. The Winner CEO treated the trio to ice cream before they made their way to the bookstore.

“So,” the redhead said as they made their way down the street, “what’s going on with you, Harry?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, confused.

“Well, what was that back in the pub?” Ron scowled. “You’ve always wanted to come over, why would you let that guy say no?”

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” Harry shrugged. “He’s my dad.”

“WHAT?!” Ron almost shouted. “Harry, that’s stupid, everyone knows your parents are dead.”

“About that,” Hermione cut in, noticing the dejected look on the bespectacled boy’s face, “you didn’t really explain very well on the phone, how did this happen?”

Harry explained everything that happened with Dobby and the Dursleys, and how he had been rescued by the Preventers. Hermione was appalled by what she heard the Dursleys had done but Ron looked skeptical.

“That sounds dodgy, Harry,” the redhead frowned. “You see, house-elves can’t just go against their master’s wishes, it was probably just someone like Malfoy having a laugh, and you blew it out of proportion, like you did with the Stone and that mirror last year.”

“I didn’t blow either of those out of proportion,” the green eyed boy said defensively. “Voldemort was after the Stone and even Dumbledore warned about the mirror.”

“Alright, children,” Quatre interrupted, having felt his son’s distress from the short distance he was behind them. He had been trying to give the trio some privacy and not try and eavesdrop. “It’s time we meet up with the others at the bookstore.”

With that he began herding the children toward Flourish and Blotts, he’d have a word with Harry later about what happened. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:

GILDEROY LOCKHART

will be signing copies of his autobiography

_MAGICAL ME_

Today 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“We can actually meet him!” Hermione squealed. “I mean, he’s written almost the whole booklist.”

“He did?” Harry frowned in thought and then looked up at the blond in slight panic. “I didn’t get my list.”

“I have it here,” the former Sandrock pilot ruffled the messy black locks fondly and pulled out a parchment from his breast pocket. “It arrived early yesterday morning. We just have the books left, but here, take a look.”

Harry took it and opened it. His eyes darted quickly down the page until he found what he was looking for.

SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:

_The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2_

by Miranda Goshawk

_Defensive Basics: A Guide_

by T.K. Rada

 _Break with a Banshee_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

 _Gadding with Ghouls_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

 _Holidays with Hags_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

 _Travels with Trolls_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

 _Voyages with Vampires_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

 _Wanderings with Werewolves_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

 _Year with the Yeti_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

He looked up from his list and noticed the crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley’s age. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, “Calmly, please, ladies…. Don’t push, there… mind the books, now….”

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Quatre squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. The three children each grabbed a copy of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2_ and Quatre picked up three copies of _Defensive Basics_ and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with the Grangers and Snape and Duo.

“Oh, there you are, good,” said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. “We’ll be able to see him in a minute….”

Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard’s hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.

A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

“Out of the way, there,” he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. “This is for the _Daily Prophet_ —”

“Big deal,” said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.

Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron—and then he saw Harry. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, “It _can’t_ be Harry Potter?”

The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry’s arm, and pulled him to the front. The crowd burst into applause. Harry’s face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Weasleys. The five former pilots sent their best glares at the man who was manhandling their son, but they seemed to have no effect.

“Nice big smile, Harry,” said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. “Together, you and I are worth the front page.”

At this comment, Heero stepped up behind the photographer and whispered so only the man could hear, “If you release any photos of my son, Harry Potter, I’ll kill you.”

The photographer shuddered slightly and quickly lowered his camera.

When Lockhart finally let go of Harry’s hand, Harry could hardly feel his fingers. He tried to sidle back over to his fathers, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said loudly, waving for quiet. “What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I’ve been sitting on for some time.

“When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography—which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge—” The crowd applauded again. “He had no idea,” Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to the end of his nose, “that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, _Magical Me_. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Assistant Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

Heero’s already stony expression turned murderous as the crowd cheered and clapped and Harry found himself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering slightly under their weight, he managed to make his way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron.

“You have these,” Harry mumbled to her, tipping the books into the cauldron. “I’ll buy my own—”

“Bet you loved that, didn’t you Potter?” said a voice Harry had no trouble recognizing. He straightened up and found himself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer.

“ _Famous_ Harry Potter,” said Malfoy. “Can’t even go into a _bookshop_ without making the front page.”

“That’s enough out of you,” Duo appeared behind the blond Slytherin and smacked him upside the head. “If you don’t behave you won’t be coming home with us.”

“But Uncle Duo,” Draco whined, “that’s not fair!”

“Life ain’t fair,” the braided man replied. “Now, if you can’t get along with Yasu, you’re not coming over. Period. End of story.”

“Fine,” the blond shot one final glare in Harry’s direction, knowing the former pilot was very serious, before taking Duo’s hand and leaving the shop.

“Come on, Harry,” Wufei said, having come up behind him with the others, just as the elder Malfoys appeared on the scene. “It’s time to go home.”

The bespectacled boy looked up and nodded. Together with the other pilots and Snape they all made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron, where they met up with Duo and Draco, and then out into Muggle London where the car waited.

 

 




  



	6. Summer Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here’s the Seventh Day of Christmas chapter. Enjoy.  
> Okay, so for this chapter, I did change a character to fit my needs for this fic, please forgive me for taking the artistic license with this one.

Chapter 5: Summer Interlude

 

Blaise Zabini made his way down the stairs of his father’s vacation home in the Sanq Kingdom. His short blond hair mused as he had just finished his summer homework, something his father had insisted be done before their guests arrived that afternoon. Why he hadn’t finished it earlier was a moot point, as they had been traveling a lot for his father’s work. But they were Earthbound now and his aunts were visiting before he went back for his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

“Blaise,” his father’s voice interrupted his thoughts, “Draco is on the phone.” He handed him the cordless device. “Make it quick, your aunt and godmothers will be here soon.”

“Got it, Dad,” he grinned at the tall blond, before placing the phone to his ear and heading into the parlor. “Hey, Dray, what’s going on?”

~Oh my god, Blaise, you’ll never believe what happened,~ the other boy gave a groan of frustrated annoyance.

“I thought you were spending the next week with your godfathers, and nothing could go wrong?” the blond sighed at his friend’s melodramatic ways. “You always look forward to these visits.”

~I do,~ he could tell by his voice, Draco was pouting. ~That was until Harry Bloody Potter showed up.~

“Potter?” Blaise asked incredulously. “Why would he be at your godfathers’? Snape doesn’t even like him.”

~I don’t know,~ the other Slytherin said exasperatedly. ~No one’s told me anything since we left Diagon Alley. We aren’t even at Spinner’s End. We’re at an estate in London, with four other guys and Potter. He’s going to ruin my vacation, and next year, and I’m never going to be able to get away from him.~

“Draco, let me give you some advice, before I have to go,” Blaise ran his free hand through his hair. “If you can’t get along with him, ignore him, don’t let him ruin your vacation. Anyway, I think I hear a car, I gotta go. See you at school.”

Before Draco could say anything else, he hung up the phone. He then made his way out to the hallway, where his father was answering the door. It looked like their guests had arrived.

“Hello, Zechs,” the woman at the door greeted his father. “Where’s my godson?”

“It’s good to see you too, Anne,” pale blue eyes rolled in fond annoyance. “And he’s right there,” he pointed over his shoulder before turning to the other two women. “Noin, Sally, so glad you could make it.”

“It’s been too long, Zechs,” the raven haired woman went over and gave him a hug.

“Blaise,” the head of the Preventers made a beeline for the boy. “You look more like your father every time I see you. And not that one,” she waved over her shoulder in Zechs’ general direction.

“Thanks, Aunt Anne,” he grinned, giving her hug. “I’ve missed you.”

“Come,” she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and began guiding him into the living room. “Now, tell me everything that’s been going on for the past year, so I can start undoing everything your father has done.”

“Don’t listen to her, Zechs,” Sally shook her head, as the boy’s laughter faded into the other room. “He’s a good boy, you’ve done well with him. Treize would’ve been proud.”

“I know,” the long haired blond smiled sadly. “Anyway, let’s not linger in the hallway. Make yourself at home. Relena and her… entourage should be here soon.”

“Oh, she’s not already here? That’s surprising,” Noin linked her arm through his as they made their way to the living room.

The three of them entered the room as Lady Une burst out laughing at the anecdote Blaise had just finished telling her. The other two women went over and gave the boy a hug and kiss before taking up seats on the loveseat, leaving Zechs to take the armchair next to them. Blaise had just started into another story when the doorbell rang and the former Lightning Count got up to answer it.

He opened the door and smiled at the three people standing there.

“Milliardo,” his obviously pregnant sister stepped forward and gave him a hug, “how’ve you been? How’s Blaise?”

“We’re both fine,” he chuckled. “You, however, look like you need to get off your feet. Come on in, Noin and the others are already in the living room, I’m sure they’re anxious to see you. How’re you, Remus?” he addressed his brother-in-law.

“I’m good,” the other man smiled tiredly. “Tired, but that’s to be expected. Teddy just got over a cold,” he shifted the sleeping toddler in his arms slightly, “and your sister is stubborn. I’ve had to cancel two trips to the colonies because she keeps planning them, even though she knows she can’t do space travel in her condition.”

“I seem to recall the same thing happening when she was pregnant with Teddy,” the blond chuckled, leading them through to the living room. “Only at the time, you were still too new at this and Noin and I were the ones picking up the slack. She never slows down, nor will she ever, but that’s one of the reasons you married her.”

“Oh, would you two stop it?” the Vice Foreign Minister swatted her brother’s arm playfully. “I’m pregnant, not dying. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“Um-hm,” both men nodded in unison, the skepticism clear in their tone.

A pout formed on her pretty face as they entered the living room. Blaise got up immediately and went over to hug his aunt and uncle. The others exchanged greetings and pleasantries, as the couple made themselves at home on the second couch.

“So Anne,” Relena asked, once they were all comfortable, “who did you leave in charge with the three of you gone? Was it Heero? Or one of the others?”

“Actually, Agent Stone is in charge while we’re gone,” Une shook her head. “He’s capable, but I did leave my number with him just in case of emergency. Unfortunately, none of the former Gundam pilots work for me anymore.”

“What?!” the siblings asked in unison.

“When did this happen? And why?” the former OZ lieutenant’s brow furrowed. “I thought they enjoyed protecting the world.”

“They did, and probably would still come if I need them,” she smirked. “But they, like you, decided that family was more important, and decided to take some time to get to know their son.”

“Their son?” Relena shook her head. “Heero hasn’t said anything to me about he and Quatre having a son.”

“And I haven’t heard anything about Wufei being pregnant,” Zechs continued.

“And what makes you think Trowa couldn’t…(1) I’m going to stop there,” Une chuckled. “No, this was a case from the FRA. Apparently, a little over twelve years ago, in a rare magical occurrence I’m told, Duo gave birth to the son of all five of them.”

“How is that even possible?” Remus frowned. “I’ve never heard of a magical instance when that would be even conceivable, let alone possible.”

“According to his husband, Duo is a rare magical creature called an…” she snapped her fingers trying to remember.

“Amortentus,” Sally supplied.

“Wait,” the werewolf held up his hand. “Amortentus are a myth. The last time anyone even heard a rumor of one was over a thousand years ago.”

“Apparently, they just went into hiding,” the head of the Preventers shrugged, “because that is what Duo is claiming to be and he doesn’t tell a lie, just ask him. But DNA evidence proves that the boy is the biological son of all five of them. So all of them subsequently quit. Two of them got jobs at Hogwarts though, so all of them could be there to spend time with him.”

“They’re going to be at Hogwarts?” Blaise cut in. “That means I might know their son, unless he’s a first year.”

“He’s not a first year,” Une smiled. “And I’m sure you’ve heard of him if nothing else. All of you have. Their son is Harry Potter.”

888888

Harry Potter slipped quietly into the library, the one room in the massive house he felt safe, besides his bedroom, but as he had already spent quite a lot of time in there he felt like a change of scenery. Since he had arrived at the estate, his life hadn’t exactly been ideal, but at least it was better than the Dursleys. However, things had changed drastically since their trip to Diagon Alley and Draco Malfoy had come to stay. The blond Slytherin had been around every corner, and he couldn’t get away from him. And if it wasn’t Malfoy, it was Snape or his husband. He wanted to scream, if it wouldn’t bring the entire house down upon him.

He heard the door creak open behind him and quickly darted behind the nearest shelf, hoping his sanctuary wasn’t being invaded. Ever so quietly, he peeked around the shelf and barely managed to suppress a gasp. There, standing in the doorway with his eyes closed and his hand clutching his chest, was Quatre. Probably the one other person in the house he didn’t want to find him.

“Harry,” the blond sighed, but did not move, “come here please.”

The young wizard sighed but shuffled out of his hiding place. He looked at his feet, refusing to look at the man standing before him.

“What’s wrong, Harry?” the former Sandrock pilot knelt down and placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

Harry desperately wanted to lean into the touch, but used everything inside him to deny the action.

“Nothing,” he finally answered, taking a shuddering breath.

Quatre took a deep breath before lifting his son’s chin so he was actually looking at him, “Look, Harry, I know things have been hectic since you’ve gotten here and we haven’t really set up any ground rules. But I’m going to make one now and I expect it to be followed. Am I understood?” At the slight nod he continued, “I want you not to lie to us.” He held up his finger to the boy’s lips to silence his protests, “I’m not asking you to tell us everything, but if you don’t want to talk about something, you tell us you don’t want to talk about it, and we will respect that until you are ready to talk about it. However, you’re going to tell me what’s wrong, and you don’t get to tell me you don’t want to talk about it because you lied in the first place.”

“But…”

“No buts,” Quatre shook his head. “I do not tolerate lying and as your punishment, you will be forced to tell the truth. Now, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to be around them,” he muttered quietly, looking back at the ground.

“Who don’t you want to be around?” the blond frowned. “Because from the way you’ve been hiding it seems you don’t want to be around any of us.”

“No,” he shook his head. “It’s just that anytime I go anywhere, they’re there. Malfoy, Snape, and, and…”

“Duo,” Quatre supplied.

“Yeah,” he peeked at the blond but quickly averted his gaze again. “And I don’t want to be a bother to anyone else.”

“I see,” the former Sandrock pilot nodded, pushing to his feet and taking the chibi’s hand. “Come along, I think we need to have a little talk with the others.”

“But, but,” Harry protested, but didn’t try to pull his hand away.

“No, it’s high time this conversation happened,” Quatre gave him a brief smile, as he pulled out his cell phone and sent a text to the others.

The pair arrived in the living room and found the rest of the household already gathered. Duo, Snape, and Malfoy occupied one couch, the evidence of their previous activities scattered around them; Wufei and Trowa were across from them on the other couch, both looking expectantly at the blond; while Heero took up residence in one of the armchairs. Quatre urged the boy forward into the room and into a seat.

“Alright,” the blond made his way to the middle of the room once Harry had taken a seat in one of the free armchairs, though Duo was trying to coax him to sit with him. “A few things have come to my attention that need to be addressed. First of all, has to do with you three,” he turned to the trio on the couch. “You three need to remember that you are guests in this house, and it is Harry’s home. If you two specifically, Mr. Snape and Mr. Malfoy, cannot get over your grievances toward Harry, whatever they may be I don’t care, you can show yourself the door. I believe I warned you once, Mr. Snape, consider this your final warning. I will not tolerate anymore of this.”

“Look, Quat,” Duo cut in, “I get that you’re upset, but neither Dray nor Sev has done anything since your last warning, but be here. I’m not saying that some things don’t need to change but ya can’t lay the blame where it don’t belong.”

“Let me rephrase,” aqua eyes hardened. “They may not have done anything outwardly antagonistic toward him, but if he possesses even a fraction of my ability then he can feel the resentment, animosity, and almost downright hatred pouring off those two when he even enters a room. And unless something changes, they will not be welcome in the future.”

“Very well,” Snape interjected before Duo could protest further. “I will do a better job of keeping my emotions in check, I failed to consider there was an empath in the mix, and that would also affect the boy.”

“Sev?” Duo gave him a confused look.

“We’ll talk about it later,” the Potions Master took his husband’s hand. “For now, I will do better to make Pot—Harry feel more welcome.”

“Good,” Quatre nodded. “Now, I think there are a few more things we need to discuss, however, Harry, Draco, you two may go.”

The two boys nodded and made their way into the hallway. They were just about to the stairs when Draco launched himself at Harry and put him in a headlock.

“This is all your fault, Potter,” he sneered. “I was supposed to have a great summer with my godfathers, and because of you, I’m getting threatened to be sent home!”

The raven haired boy whimpered slightly and tried in vain to wriggle free. Draco’s grip on him tightened and he went limp. Struggling just didn’t seem important or necessary, though he couldn’t explain why.

“What? Nothing to say for yourself?” the blond scoffed. “The great Harry Potter can’t—What are you doing?!”

Harry wasn’t even sure himself. Of its own volition his head began nuzzling into the Slytherin’s side. His mind was telling him to stop, screaming it actually, but his body seemed to be beyond his control.

“What the hell?” Draco dropped his hold and shoved Harry away from him. “Were you just… That’s just… What is wrong with you? Wait…”

Harry had stumbled slightly when he was released, but regained his balance quickly. However, instead of running in shame for what he’d just done, he stood there, staring in shock at his rival, not sure what to do.

“Come on,” the blond sighed and grabbed his arm, dragging him into the nearest room.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Harry asked, sure that he was going to get beat us, just like Dudley used to.

“Let me get this straight,” the Slytherin said once the door was closed behind them, running his hands through his hair, “you’re like Uncle Duo, aren’t you?”

“I-I don’t know what you mean,” the bespectacled boy shook his head.

“They did tell you what he is, didn’t they?” the pointed features contorted into a frown.

“He’s an Amortentus, or something,” he shook his head. “Not that I know what that means really, they tried to explain it, but it was really confusing.”

“I see,” Draco nodded.

Before another word could be spoken, the Slytherin stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the other’s shoulders. Harry knew he should push him away, wanted to, but once again his body seemed to betray him, as his own arms rose and encircled the blond.

“D—St—Let me—” he couldn’t seem to even form a complete thought.

“You can be such an idiot,” Draco shook his head. “You’re an Amortentus, too, and if I learned nothing else from Uncle Duo, Amortentus crave physical contact. Need it, actually, to survive. Why is this happening to me? Why couldn’t Granger and Weasley have been here instead?” he let out a heavy sigh. “Fine. I’ll make you a deal, Potter.”

“What kind of deal?” he involuntarily gave the blond a squeeze.

“Shut up and listen,” the Slytherin snapped, but not harshly. “For the rest of the summer, I’ll help you with this problem, but when school starts back up, you find someone else to be your cuddle buddy.”

“Cuddle buddy?” Harry asked incredulously.

“That’s what Uncle Duo calls it,” Draco shrugged. “Anyway, we may as well get comfortable. Why don’t you grab a book or something?”

“O-okay,” the Gryffindor agreed uneasily.

“Would you agree with anything I said right now?” the blond asked, barely suppressing a laugh.

“N-no,” Harry tried not to blush.

“You—you would!” Draco couldn’t control it any longer and burst into gales of laughter. “Are you so starved for affection, that one little hug would make you practically someone’s slave? You are, aren’t you? What did those people treat you like?”

“It wasn’t so bad,” Harry shrugged. “And they didn’t know.”

“That’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard,” Draco shook his head. “Okay, I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t we go sit down and we’ll talk? You can tell me about life with the Muggles, and hell, I’ll even tell you some about my life and family.”

 (1. I, personally, don’t see Trowa as a sub at all, so I have Zechs and Une reflecting my opinion on this matter.)


	7. The Return to Hogwarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so in honor of Single Appreciation Day aka Valentine’s Day, I’m gonna post this for all the singles out there like me.

Chapter 6: The Return to Hogwarts

 

The rest of the summer passed relatively peacefully for the newly formed household. There were no more confrontations between the adults, and Harry and Draco met up at least once a day, in secret, and had what Draco called cuddle time. Harry couldn’t complain though, he’d never felt as good as he did here. It was amazing the difference positive attention made, not only on his psyche but his physical well being as well.

On the last evening, Duo insisted they order pizza and have a movie night. So he had ordered a couple dozen pizzas and they all settled into the living room to watch. Harry ended up on the floor with Draco and Duo, while everyone else was scattered throughout the seats in the rest of the room.

After the second movie, Quatre announced it was time for bed. Duo and Draco both protested, but he held his ground and they all headed to bed.

The following morning, Heero woke Harry at eight and told him to shower and prepare for breakfast in one hour. Luckily, all his things had been packed the previous day. Or maybe it wasn’t so much luck. All the adults, with the exception of Duo and Snape, had insisted he have everything ready before they’d had dinner.

When he finished getting ready, he made his way down to the dining room. Only Draco, Duo, Quatre, and Trowa were present. This confused him, it wasn’t like the others to be late.

“Harry,” the blond greeted when he took his seat. “We were just about to go over the plans for the morning.”

“Okay,” Harry nodded.

“After breakfast, Duo, Trowa, and myself will be taking you and Draco to the train station. Unfortunately,” he took a deep breath, “Heero, Wufei, and Severus had to leave before seeing you off, as there was a last minute mandatory staff meeting at Hogwarts that they could not get out of. Draco, your parents said they would meet us at the station to see you off.”

“Welp,” Duo cut in, clapping his hands together, “sounds like a great plan. Now, let’s eat and get this show on the road.”

They continued the rest of the meal in silence. Once all the dishes were finally cleared, they made their way out to the waiting car. Trowa got behind the wheel while Duo took the back with the two boys, leaving the passenger seat for Quatre.

They pulled into the station at a quarter to eleven. Quatre went to get a trolley for the trunks and they all went into the station. They reached the barrier to platform nine and three-quarters at the same time as a troupe of red heads.

Duo didn’t hesitate, but grabbed Draco’s arm and sprinted through the barrier so the young Slytherin could have a few minutes with his parents. Quatre and Trowa held back for a moment to let the redheads go first, since they didn’t seem to be paying attention to anyone else around them. When there were only three of them left, the eldest finally realized they weren’t the only ones waiting for the train.

“Harry, dear,” she said, spying the bespectacled boy, “I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Why don’t you and Ron go through together? I’ll take Ginny and you two can come right after us.”

“Or,” Quatre interjected with forced politeness, he had never met a woman he liked less than Molly Weasley, and that included Dorothy Catalonia, “you can take your son yourself, and we will take ours. I also feel it is highly irresponsible of you to think even for a moment of leaving two twelve year olds alone in a crowded London train station. Now, if you’ll excuse me. Trowa, I’m going to go get these trunks on the train. I’ll see you in a bit.”

With that, he disappeared. Molly Weasley puffed up her chest indignantly, grabbed both of her children’s hands and went through the barrier. The unibanged man put his hand on Harry’s shoulder and steered him in the direction of the barrier.

About two feet from the barrier, however, Trowa pulled them to an abrupt halt. With a frown, he reached out and touched the now solid barrier.

“The barrier is sealed,” the unibanged man said, more to himself than Harry, and pulled a phone out of his pocket. He hit a button and put the device to his ear. “Quatre,” he said after a moment. “We can’t get through the barrier, something has sealed it. He’s not going to make the train, so I’m going to take him to Hogwarts myself. Something doesn’t feel right, and I think it would be best if Wufei and Heero were with us.”

He must’ve gotten the okay, because the next thing Harry knew, he was being lifted once again into the tall man’s arms. He felt a strange squeezing sensation, like his entire being was being sucked through a tiny straw. When the feeling stopped, he was surprised to find them standing just outside the gates of Hogwarts.

Without saying anything, Trowa entered the gates and began the trek up to the school. As they walked, the unibanged man held his hand up and something silver flew out if it. It took the form of a lion as it entered the front doors.

“What happened?” Wufei met them at the doors.

“I’ll explain once we are all together,” he shook his head. “Let’s just go to the room for now.”

The Chinese man nodded and led them further into the castle. At first, Harry thought they were heading to Gryffindor tower, but as they reached the final staircase, they turned left. The corridor appeared to be empty, even of portraits, except for a lone pillar at the end. It looked like it had once been part of a pair, with what appeared to be a dragon circling around it, and the other disappearing over the course of time.

When they reached it, Wufei reached out and placed a hand on the dragon. The eyes glowed gold for a moment before the dragon circled around the pillar and disappeared into the wall. A moment later a door appeared and the raven haired man led them inside. Once it was closed behind them, Wufei turned to face the pair.

“The door is genetically coded to the four of us, and Harry, of course, since he shares our genes,” he gave a brief smile in the boy’s direction. “Heero and I worked on it this morning before the meeting began. It was originally guarded by a portrait of a dimwitted knight and his obscenely fat pony. The password was home. Any moron with half a brain could’ve gotten through, so we discarded the painting and created that. I would like to add a bit of your magic to it, if you would, so that it’s not easily broken with ordinary magic.”

“Of course, I’ll get right on that,” Trowa nodded.

Wufei nodded, before letting out a heavy sigh, “Unfortunately, I have to return to the staff meeting. As it is, the Headmaster didn’t want me to leave in the first place.”

“Go,” the unibanged man leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. “We’ll be here when you return. As, I’m sure, will Quatre and Duo.”

“Oh, we forget to include Duo in the spellwork,” the Chinese man rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh well, we’ll figure that out later. For now, just let them in and explain the process to Quatre.”

With that being said, he turned and left the room. Trowa finally set Harry on his feet, before turning his attention to the closed doorway. Harry decided to leave him to it, and instead turned to take in his surroundings.

The room they were standing in was a living room, with a large fireplace and an oversized couch and two armchairs all facing it. To the right was an archway leading to a small kitchen. To the left was a stairway, that once he looked up it, led to a landing with three doors. He didn’t dare go up them, but he assumed that was where the bedrooms were, though he wasn’t sure why there were three, unless one was a bathroom.

“Well, that’s about all I can do,” Trowa’s voice interrupted his musings. “Quatre and Duo should be here before long, why don’t you and I see what’s upstairs?”

He smiled and took Harry’s hand in his own and headed up the stairs. Once at the top, he opened the door on the right.

“Looks like Heero claimed this room,” the unibanged man nodded toward the bag at the foot of the king sized bed.

Apart from the bed there was a large wardrobe along one side and a doorway on the other. The door was ajar, and they could make out the shape of a large tub.

“Hm,” Trowa shook his head and closed the door before making his way to the one across the landing, which was an exact replica of the previous. “And this would be mine and Wufei’s. That would leave the last one as yours.”

“Mine?” Harry looked up in confusion. “Why would it be mine? I stay in Gryffindor tower.”

“Harry,” he knelt down so he was eye level with his son, “I’m not saying you can’t stay there. In fact, I encourage you to. I’m just letting you know it’s here if you feel the need to get away, or for the holidays. You are our son and you are welcome here, that is why that room is yours.”

“O-okay,” Harry nodded, still not overly comfortable with having a family who actually wanted him.

“Well, why don’t we go back down and wait for the others,” Trowa gave a small, sad smile before getting up and heading back to the living room.

888888

Once he’d said goodbye to his parents and godfather, Draco boarded the train and began looking for his best friend. He was flanked almost immediately by the walking buffoons Crabbe and Goyle. He allowed them to follow for a few minutes until he spotted Blaise in a compartment by himself.

“Would you two get lost?” he rounded on them. “Go annoy someone else. I’ll call if I need you.”

The pair shared a look before shrugging and taking off down the corridor. The blond ran his hands through his hair in frustration, he really didn’t know why he put up with those two. He sighed, straightened his hair and robes and then opened the door to the compartment.

“Hi, Dray,” Blaise smiled once the door was closed again.

“Blaise,” he nodded, taking the seat across from him. “How’s your family doing?”

“They’re fine,” the other shook his head. “My aunt’s about ready to pop. I can’t say this to her, but she seems to get bigger every time I see her.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard pregnant women get weird, you should hear some of the stories my dad tells,” Draco shook his head. “Apparently, my mum was scary.”

“Tell me about it,” Blaise smirked. “Anyway, how’d the rest of your summer go? Did Potter give you too much trouble?”

“Oh my god, Blaise,” grey eyes lit up animatedly, “he’s so cute! You can’t tell a soul this, but he’s the same type of creature Uncle Duo is. And those stupid Muggles deprived him so much that one touch will turn him into a life-sized teddy bear. It gets so bad, sometimes, that he won’t let go for hours. Not that you want to let him go, that’s part of his power, but aside from that, he just looks too adorable to move.”

“If I didn’t know you better, Draco,” the darker blond chuckled, “I’d say you have a crush.”

“Oh shut up,” Draco glared at him, but pink dusted his pale cheeks. “It’s not like that, he’s practically family now.”

“Right,” blue eyes danced in suppressed mirth. “I think I need to meet this new and improved Harry Potter. Anyway, want to see what my dad got me as my back to school present?”

“Yeah,” the pale blond sat forward excitedly. “Didn’t he give you your owl last year, just before you boarded the train?”

“Yeah,” Blaise grinned, and pulled a rectangular package out of the knapsack he always carried with him, a habit he had engrained in him by his father from a very young age. He pulled the white envelope off and opened it.

_Blaise,_

_This year’s present is not just from me, but your father as well. He gave this to me while I was pregnant with you in the hopes that one day you might actually listen to him and I wouldn’t corrupt you completely. Of course, he always thought he would live to see this day. He would be so proud of you, and the young man you are growing into, just as I am._

_Love you always,_

_Dad_

Blaise quickly refolded the letter and stashed it in his bag. He glanced over at his best friend, not so sure he wanted to share this with him anymore. However, he was a bit too far in for second thoughts. So, he ripped the plain brown paper back to reveal a dark blue, leather bound book. On the cover, emblazoned in fine gold lettering in read _Defensive Basics: A Guide_ and at the bottom, in smaller lettering _T.K. Rada._

“That’s one of our textbooks,” Draco frowned. “But that’s not the standard issue.”

“No,” Blaise said huskily, emotions clouding his voice, “it’s my dad’s copy. I-I think my father wrote it.”

He carefully opened the front cover. On the first page was a handwritten note in a refined script.

_Milliardo,_

_I know I have been busy in recent months, what with the war and my recent imprisonment, but know that you and our son are never out of my thoughts. I know this is a small condolence, and I should be with you now more than ever. Just know that the fire between us will never die, not as long as our son, our Blaise, lives. Forgive me for naming him in a letter without consulting you, but I believe it fits, for wherever lightning strikes there is always fire._

_On a separate note, I wrote this book for him. All my knowledge on defensive measures, both magic and non, to help guide him. Of course, I do plan on being there myself to teach him all of this in person, once this foolish war business is over, but it can’t hurt to have a book behind me, especially with you whispering in his ear._

_Take care of yourself and our son. I look forward to the day I can hold you again._

_Love you always,_

_Treize_

He couldn’t stop the tears that streamed down his cheeks. He closed the book, not wanting to smudge the writing, and glanced in his friend’s direction. The pale blond was staring fixedly out the window, for which Blaise was eternally grateful. After a few minutes, he dried his eyes and cleared his throat. Draco turned away from the window and they spent the rest of the journey playing Exploding Snap and talking of the coming year.

888888

At around noon, Wufei and Heero left the staff room, the meeting finally over. God, that man loved to hear himself talk, even more than Treize Khushrenada did. They both knew it was going to be a long few years, as long as Albus Dumbledore was headmaster.

“Why don’t we just kill him?” the shaggy haired brunet asked in a monotone.

“Unfortunately, the war is over,” the Chinese man sighed, “things aren’t that simple anymore. However, I’m sure we can gather enough evidence to have him removed from the school. Any fool can see he’s incompetent. Granted, he has power, but he should not be given any authority with that power, it’s gone to his head, just like it did with Dermail. And like Dermail, it will not be an easy task to take him down, but with the five of us together again I think we’ll manage quite nicely.”

“Hn,” a smirk pulled at the corners of the other’s mouth.

“In the meantime,” Wufei shook his head, “let’s go find out what happened with our son.”

Silence fell over them as they made their way to their suite of rooms. They found Severus heading in the same direction and decided to take pity on him and took him with them. The three of them entered the suite to find Trowa, Quatre, Duo, and Harry just sitting down for lunch. The trio of teachers joined them and they ate in rather companionable silence.

Once they were finished, Trowa turned his attention to the boy.

“Harry, why don’t you take Minxy,” a small house elf in a Hogwarts tea towel appeared at the mention of the name, “and go upstairs and tell her how you want your room decorated.”

“O-okay,” the raven haired boy nodded hesitantly.

“Don’t worry,” the unibanged man gave him a small reassuring smile, “just tell Minxy what you want, she’s good at what she does.”

“Thank you, Lord Trowa,” the little elf said rather breathlessly at the praise. “Minxy will do her best.”

“Now, Harry,” the emerald gaze turned back to his son, “you’re not in trouble, we just need to discuss a few things. However, when we’re done, I’ll come up and help you, how’s that sound?”

“Okay,” a small smile graced his features before he headed up the stairs with the house elf.

“What’d you do, Trowa,” his husband barely managed to bite back a laugh, “befriend all the house elves in the castle?”

“No,” Trowa shook his head. “Minxy just happened to be the one who brought us lunch. Though I do plan on meeting all of them before the day is out.”

“Of course you will,” onyx eyes rolled in fond annoyance. “Anyway, I believe we are actually here to discuss what happened to make Harry miss the train.”

“Yes,” Quatre frowned. “What did happen? You weren’t even two minutes behind me. You don’t think it was the Weasleys do you?”

“It wasn’t the Weasleys,” the unibanged man took a deep breath. “They are well meaning enough, if a bit pushy. But no, the magic that sealed the barrier was elven. A house elf to be exact. The creature left immediately after, so I didn’t have the chance to question it. But if I sense it again, rest assured I will follow up. However, it couldn’t have been the Weasleys, they are not wealthy or powerful enough to attract a house elf to them.”

“We’ll leave that to you, then,” Heero interjected. “In the meantime, we’ll have to up security outside of Hogwarts. Things should be safe enough within the school, however we will not let our guard down.”

“Sounds good,” the former clown put his hands on his knees in preparation to rise. “If there’s nothing else, I think I’ll head upstairs to help Harry.”

“Actually, there was one more thing,” Wufei shook his head. “Heero and I feel that we need to have Dumbledore removed from this school.”

“Why?” Severus’ brow rose incredulously. “Dumbledore’s a good man and one of the best wizards of the age.”

“So he claims,” Heero glared him into silence. “His motives are far from pure and the power has gone to his head. He has convinced himself and most of the population that he is right and that they cannot hope to function without his guiding hand.”

“Not another Romefeller,” Duo groaned. “Didn’t we already fight a war to stop that?”

“You’re wrong,” the Potions Master shook his head. “Dumbledore isn’t like that.”

“No, you’re mistaken,” the Chinese man interjected. “In the shot amount of time since we have entered the picture, he has shown gross, almost criminal, neglect of a student’s abusive situation; interfered with a student’s wellbeing outside the confines of the school, inside a government facility no less; and he undermined the school’s board of governors, which is there specifically to keep him in check. Tell us again how he is not abusing his authority?”

“Well, when you put it like that,” Severus conceded.

“Everything that was just said is circumstantial at best,” the shaggy haired brunet continued. “We need hard evidence before we can move against him.”

“And we will get it,” there was a hint of steel in Quatre’s voice as he agreed. “Between the five of us, I’m sure we can get enough.”

Five identical, devious, smirks graced the former terrorists’ faces, causing Severus to shiver slightly despite himself.

888888

Harry looked around at the room that was to be his. He wasn’t sure what to do, he’d never decorated anything before. His gaze turned to the house elf, but she was just looking at him expectantly.

“Uh, Minxy?” he hoped he had gotten the name right.

“Yes, Little Lord Harry?” she squeaked happily.

“It’s just Harry,” he shook his head. “Anyway, I’ve never done this before, so I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, Harry,” a scowl crossed her face, “Minxy has only ever done small things at Hogwarts, like cleaning the tapestries and banners, and maintaining the ceiling in the Great Hall. Unfortunately, Minxy is mostly a kitchen house elf.”

“Wait, do you know the spells for the enchanted ceiling?” he asked surprised.

“Yes, Minxy does,” she puffed out her chest in pride. “Minxy has to know the ancient spells to maintain them.”

“Can you do them in here?” his voice was slightly breathless in anticipation.

“Of course Minxy can,” she grinned. “Minxy would be honored to do anything for Harry, Lord Trowa’s son.”

Her large brown eyes traveled up to the ceiling and she began waving her arms and snapping occasionally. Harry watched her work with rapt attention. He had never seen magic performed like that before, and it was, to put it mildly, enthralling.

As she gave one final, loud snap, and the ceiling exploded into a bright almost cloudless day, the door silently opened inward

“Are you sure you want that as your ceiling?” a mildly amused voice broke the silence. “It might be a bit distracting when you want to sleep in.”

“That’s what a canopy and curtains are for,” a spark of true delight shone in the emerald orbs, the first since he’d been taken in by his fathers.

Trowa threw his head back and laughed. It was nice to see the boy so carefree and happy. It was also quite infectious, and he wasn’t sure which other parent that was from: Quatre or Duo.

“Well, we’ll have to make sure they’re extra thick, then,” he fully entered the room. “Thank you, Minxy, I’ll take it from here.”

“Of course, Lord Trowa,” the house elf bowed low. “Minxy will return to the kitchen now. If the Lord needs anything, don’t hesitate to call.”

He nodded as the little creature disappeared with a soft pop. He then turned his attention back to his son.

“So, speaking of the curtains,” he went over to the bed and began rubbing the fabric between his fingers. “This is too thin,” the fabric began changing at his touch, finally stopping on a thick velvet. “That’s better. Now, what color would you like them?”

“How did you do that?” Harry asked instead, running his hand over the soft material.

“You can do it too, if you want,” the unibanged man looked down at him.

“No, I can’t,” the raven head shook emphatically. “I have to have my wand, and I don’t know a spell to do that.”

“That’s wizarding thinking,” Trowa shook his head. “You are my son, which means elven magic is your birthright, and the only limit to that is your imagination. Here, I’ll show you.”

He held out his hand, which Harry took hesitantly. He placed both of their hands on the fabric, the smaller one held within his own.

“Now, focus,” the unibanged man urged quietly. “Picture the color you want the fabric to become. Don’t tell me, just picture it. Let it fill your mind. Now, transfer the color onto the fabric. Good. Open your eyes.”

Harry’s eyes fluttered open, not having realized he had closed them. A soft gasp escaped him as he looked at the new dark, forest green curtains.

“I did it,” he chuckled slightly.

“You did,” the former clown smiled proudly. “Though it is mildly surprising, but then again not, that you went with green. However, let’s move on to the walls. Maybe we could follow the theme of the ceiling and use some places that you like or would like to visit.”

“Like what?” the raven head cocked to the side.

“Well, is there somewhere on the grounds, or maybe your old neighborhood, you like to go? Perhaps the lake, a park, or maybe the forest?”

“The forest,” he nodded, before his eyes lit up again, “and maybe the Quidditch pitch on the other one. We could put the forest on this wall,” he pointed at the right hand wall, “and the pitch over there,” he pointed across the room, “and then the lake over the door. But that leaves the far wall.”

“I have an idea for that one,” Trowa smiled slightly. “We’ll remove the curtain from the head of your bed,” and with a wave of his hand it was done, “and we’ll make that wall space. It’ll be nice for when you fall asleep. Space is so peaceful. And maybe over the summer, we can take a trip up there.”

“I think I’d like that,” Harry looked up at him shyly.

“Alright then, let’s get to work.”


	8. Chapter 7: Why Me?

Chapter 7: Why Me?

 

Harry sat alone at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall awaiting the arrival of the rest of the student body to arrive for the welcoming feast. The only other people in the hall were the teachers and his fathers who were all seated at the Head Table. The only staff missing at the moment were Hagrid, who’s duty was to retrieve the first years from the train; Professor McGonagall, who was in charge of greeting the new students; and Dumbledore, though it was unclear why the headmaster was absent.

About five minutes later, the entrance hall exploded in a rush of sound as the students began arriving. As they began pouring into the Great Hall, green eyes began scanning the crowd for his best friends. Before he found them, however, his eyes locked with grey. A blond brow rose in silent inquiry to his presence there before anyone else, to which he gave a subtle shrug in response. The Slytherin obviously wasn’t going to press the issue as he continued making his way to his own table.

“Harry!”

His head turned at the sound of his name and he spotted Ron and Hermione making their way straight for him. They took a seat on either side of him, and almost immediately began to question him.

“So why weren’t you on the train?” Ron asked. “You were right behind us.”

Before he could answer, the door opened and silence filled the hall as McGonagall led the first years to the front of the hall. He was glad for the distraction, though. He wasn’t sure what to tell them. Would they believe that the barrier wouldn’t let him through and that Trowa had to bring him? Or would they think he was just trying to avoid them? Or that he thought he was too good for the train?

 _“Harry,”_ a familiar voice said quietly.

Harry’s eyes darted around, trying to see who was speaking to him but everyone was focused on the Sorting Hat, which had just started singing. He shook his head, maybe he should just focus on the Sorting too.

_“Harry, its Quatre. Please look at me.”_

Green eyes darted to the Head Table and locked with aqua. The blond smiled encouragingly as he maintained eye contact.

_“I’m speaking in your mind, Harry, so just answer in your mind.”_

_“How is this possible?”_ Harry asked confused.

 _“I’m not sure,”_ Quatre smiled. _“I’ve never had a conversation like this before, but you and I seem to share a deep connection. I’m pretty sure it’s because you are my son. That aside, I need you to calm down. I can feel your anxiety all the way up here, and if you’re not careful, you will start affecting everyone around you.”_

 _“I’m sorry,”_ the raven head bowed dejectedly.

_“You have nothing to apologize for. I’m not scolding you, I’m cautioning you. You are not in trouble. You just have to be careful. Now, about your friends, all you can do is tell them what happened, the barrier was sealed and Trowa had to bring you to school. Whether they choose to believe you is entirely on them, and there is nothing you can do about that, so why worry about it.”_

_“I guess,”_ Harry sighed.

 _“Harry, you cannot control how others think,”_ Quatre reiterated. _“All you can do is tell the truth and hold to it. As long as you know that, worrying will only make you miserable.”_

 _“Okay,”_ he gave a small smile and finally broke eye contact, turning his attention back to the Sorting.

Only, it seemed that he missed the whole thing, as McGonagall was gathering up the Sorting Hat and stool. Dumbledore, who had entered the hall at some point, got to his feet and after a few words and the feast began. As soon as their plates were full, Ron turned his gaze back to Harry.

“So,” he said around a mouthful of chicken, “gonna tell us what happened?”

“The barrier wouldn’t let us through,” Harry took a deep breath, “so my dad brought me here.”

“Your dad?” the redhead scoffed. “You’re still trying to play that card?”

“Whether you want to believe it or not, it’s the truth,” tears pooled in the emerald orbs. “Trowa is my dad, as are Wufei, Heero, Quatre, and Duo. It’s weird, but it’s still the truth. You can’t fake a DNA test.”

“Harry,” Hermione cut in, putting her arm around his shoulders and giving Ron a dirty look, “we’re not disputing that. We were just wondering why you weren’t on the train. You told us, and we’re fine now. Aren’t we, Ron?”

“No, we’re not,” Ron threw his fork down, his voice, rising drawing the attention of those nearby. “We spent the entire train ride talking about this. He’s acting different, and it all started with those guys claiming to be his dads.”

“You… you talked about me?” Harry asked, hurt.

“Of course we did,” the redhead sneered, his volume still increasing. “You’ve been acting weird since Diagon Alley!”

“Weasley,” a cold voice said from directly behind the trio, “Potter. Both of you into the hallway, now.”

Both boys looked back into the hard black eyes of Severus Snape. They knew better than to argue, so they both got up and made their way to the entrance hall. Once the door closed behind them, the Potions professor crossed his arms over his chest giving the pair a calculating look.

“Now,” he said quietly, but there was an edge to his voice, “care to explain why the two of you felt the need to disrupt the feast with your outburst.”

“We were just talking, sir,” Ron said defiantly.

“Is that so, Potter?” a dark brow rose as he turned to Harry.

“He was accusing me of lying, sir,” green eyes studied the floor. “He said that Trowa and the others weren’t my dads, and that they were making me act weird.”

“Traitor!” blue eyes narrowed into a glare. “You’re a liar, Harry Potter!”

“Detention, Weasley,” Snape held up his hand. “You may return to the feast, Potter. I feel I need a further word with Mrs. Weasley.”

Before Harry could make his way back into the Great Hall, the doors opened and Albus Dumbledore walked out, followed closely by Minerva McGonagall.

“What seems to be the problem here, Severus?” the twinkling blue eyes fell on the Potions professor.

“Just a minor altercation, Headmaster,” the Potions Master frowned. “I have handled the disturbance. Potter was about to return to the feast while I had a few words with Weasley.”

“It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these boys’ punishment, Severus,” said Dumbledore calmly. “They are in her House and therefore her responsibility.” He turned to Professor McGonagall. “I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I’ve got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there’s a delicious-looking custard tart I want to sample—”

Snape gave Harry an almost apologetic look as he allowed himself to be swept back into the Great Hall, leaving them alone with Professor McGonagall, who was still eyeing them like a wrathful eagle.

“Now,” she said sharply, “as the feast had not even finished, I will not take any points from Gryffindor, but you will both get a detention.”

“But, Professor,” Harry protested, Snape wasn’t even going to give him a detention.

“No buts, Potter,” her lips thinned dangerously. “You were both disturbing the meal, so you will both be punished. Now, go back inside, the feast is almost over and the Headmaster will be giving out the start-of-term notices.”

With that, she turned on her heel and made her way back into the Great Hall. Ron gave Harry a slight sneer before following her. Green eyes filled with tears before he harshly wiped them away and went back inside. He didn’t return to his previous seat but found an open spot at the far end. A moment later, Dumbledore got to his feet and motioned for silence.

“Now that we have enjoyed another delectable feast,” he beamed at the assembled students, “I have a few start-of-term announcements before I dismiss you for the night. First off, Mr. Filch has posted a list of banned items, which can be found on his office door for anyone who is interested. Secondly, first years should note that the Forbidden Forest is named such for a reason, and that students should not set foot in there. Now on another note, we have some new staff appointments this year. In a unanimous decision by the Board of Governors, it has been decided that Professor Binns, our long time History of Magic professor should be given a much deserved retirement so he can enjoy his afterlife. Professor Barton-Chang will now be taking over the History of Magic classes,” Wufei rose and gave a bow to the assembled students before retaking his seat. “Also, we are doing something a bit different this year for Defense Against the Dark Arts class. With the string of Professors we have gone through in the past several years, I thought it would be best if the job were divided between two professors this year. So, please join me in welcoming Professor Yuy, and Assistant Professor Lockhart.” Heero nodded stoically, while Gilderoy Lockhart beamed, showing off his overly white teeth, and waved jovially. “Now, off you trot, and sleep well.”

Harry got up with the rest of the students and blended in with the upperclassmen as they made their way up to Gryffindor Tower. He debated slipping down the hallway to his fathers’ quarters, but thought better of it and continued to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Once inside, he avoided everyone and made his way up to the second year boys’ dormitory. He managed to change and pull his curtains before any of the others entered the room. He listened quietly as his fellow year mates settled in but didn’t feel like talking to any of them so he pretended to be asleep. After a while, the rest of the boys became quiet and sleep finally claimed him.

888888

Once the feast was dismissed, Heero and Quatre made their way silently to their room. Neither of them spoke as they traversed the corridors, though they both knew there was something on the other’s mind. When they reached their suite of rooms, they bypassed the empty living room, Wufei and Trowa having apparently retired for the evening, and went straight up to their bedroom.

When they had gained the sanctity of their room, Heero closed the door and quickly discarded the robe Dumbledore had required him to wear to the feast. He then sat down on the bed and began untying his shoes as Quatre began unbuttoning his own shirt.

“Quatre,” the shaggy haired brunet said, shucking his shirt and tossing it deftly into the hamper next to the bathroom door, “what happened during the Sorting, you seemed distracted?”

“Oh, that,” his husband chuckled slightly. “I was busy having a conversation with our son.”

A single brow rose over Prussian blue eyes, showing bewildered curiosity.

“Apparently,” he continued, “whether because of my abilities or the fact that he is my son, or both, I am able to communicate telepathically with Harry. He was feeling anxious about his friends’ reactions to his missing the train. I managed to calm him down so he would not end up affecting the rest of the hall.”

“I see,” Heero nodded.

“What about you?” teal eyes turned to regard his husband. “You were furious. Don’t try and deny it.”

“It’s Dumbledore and his insistence on this Assistant Professor bullshit he’s trying to pull,” the former Wing pilot sighed. “I don’t need or want an assistant.”

“I know,” the blond went over and straddled him. “If you want the truth, he seems a bit frantic to hold on to his position, he feels threatened by your appointment, and Wufei’s.”

“Well,” Heero smirked, wrapping his arms around the other’s waist, “we’ll just have to make him live to regret it, won’t we?”

Quatre threw his head back and laughed, “You are evil, love, but you’re also right. I can’t pinpoint what exactly it is, but something about that meddling old fool sets my teeth on edge.”

“I don’t want to talk about him anymore,” the brunet shook his head. “He can ruin someone else’s night.”

“I agree,” the blond draped his arms around his husband’s shoulders. “You know, there is something I’ve wanted to talk with you about.”

“Oh?” a dark brow rose curiously.

“I know we’ve never discussed it before,” Quatre rambled, slightly nervous, “and we’ve always been careful, but learning about Harry has got me thinking. And I was wondering, how would you feel if we tried for one of our own.”

“Harry is our own,” Heero pointed out, smirking slightly.

“I know that,” the blond pouted. “And I’m glad we found out about him, but haven’t you ever thought of having a baby with me?”

“No,” he shrugged slightly. “I’ve never thought about children at all, until Relena named me Teddy’s godfather. After that, it’s never crossed my mind. Having Harry come into our lives has just been something we’ve had to come to terms with.”

“I see,” teal eyes closed in disappointment and he turned his head away.

“Quatre,” Heero reached out and turned his head back to face him, “just because I haven’t considered it doesn’t mean I won’t. As you said, we’ve never discussed it. However, if it’s something you want, I won’t say no. You know I can deny you nothing.”

“I don’t want you to agree just because I want it,” the former Sandrock pilot stood up and began pacing. “Having a child is not like getting a new car or buying a house, it’s a full time responsibility for a human life, and you need to be fully committed to it or there is no point. I refuse to raise a child on my own.”

“I would never do that to you,” he stood as well and put his arms around the other, effectively stopping his pacing. “When we got married five years ago, we agreed we would be equals in all things. If we decided to have a child, we will raise it together. I would not break that vow because of something I have never considered before. What I’m saying, is that if you want this, I am willing to try.”

“I love you,” the blond turned and placed a kiss on Heero’s lips.

“I know,” he smirked, lifting Quatre into his arms and carried him to bed.

888888

Down in the dungeons, Severus and Duo had just gained the privacy of their own quarters. As soon as the door closed behind them, the braided man turned to regard his husband. The Potions Master quirked a brow curiously, patiently waiting for the other to say what was on his mind.

“So,” Duo crossed his arms over his chest, “want to tell me what happened at dinner?”

“Potter and Weasley were having a disagreement about whether you and the others were actually his parents,” he shrugged. “I tried to defuse the situation but Dumbledore stepped in. There was nothing I could do after that point.”

“Okay,” the former pilot sighed, “you tried. But then again, did you really?”

“Duo,” Severus sighed, “I am trying to come to terms with the fact that Potter is your son, but it is difficult to let go of the animosity I have held to for the past decade.”

“Severus, don’t lie to me,” Duo shook his head. “There’s more to it than that. For the past month you’ve been pulling away from me. Now tell me why Yasu’s existence bugs you so much.”

“I’ve asked you before to stay out of my head,” he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

“Well, if you actually talked to me, I wouldn’t have to get inside your head, now would I?” the braided man countered.

“How long have we been together, Duo?” Severus asked.

“Don’t try and change the subject.”

“I’m not,” onyx held amethyst. “Now, please answer the question.”

“Fine, I’ll bite,” Duo shrugged. “We’ve been together for ten years now.”

“And in those ten years,” the Potions Master ran a hand through his hair, “you didn’t trust me enough to tell me you had a son. Nor, apparently, do you trust me, your mate, enough to give you a child. No, instead, I have to find out from the Preventers that you have a child with four other men. Now, put yourself in my shoes, and tell me how I should feel about this, because I really don’t know.”

“It’s not like that,” he put his head in his hands. “Sev, you have to understand, no one knew about Yasu. When Yasu was born, I was in the middle of fighting a war. I left him with a friend so I could continue fighting, but when I went back to retrieve him, she didn’t remember who he was, much less where he’d gone.

“After that, I searched everywhere for him. That’s actually about the time I met you. Anyway, I couldn’t find him. I failed, Severus. I failed the one person in this world who was everything to me. I didn’t tell you about him because I could not bring myself to face my own failure. It hurt too much to even think about him,” tears pooled in his amethyst eyes and he angrily wiped them away. “As for kids, it has nothing to do with you. I don’t even know if I can have anymore. After I lost Yasu, I didn’t trust myself, couldn’t trust myself to have another.

“As I said, it has nothing to do with you. You are amazing, and wonderful, and everything I ever wanted in a mate. I’m sorry that I can’t guarantee that I can give that to you. And you’re right, if I was in your shoes I’d be pissed. But if you’re going to be pissed, please be pissed at me and don’t take it out on my son. Now, with that being said,” he looked down and wrapped his arms protectively around himself, “if you want me to go, I’ll go, and I’ll never darken your door again.”

Onyx eyes rolled as Severus sighed exasperatedly, “You always were overly melodramatic, Duo.” He went over and put his arms around the smaller male, “I don’t want you to leave. It hurt that you kept this from me, but I can understand your reasoning. I love you and, quite frankly, I don’t know what I’d do without you. As for children, I know I was the one that brought it up, but it’s not that important to me. If we have them, we have them, if not we’ll manage. And I promise I will do better with Potter… or Yasu… or whatever he wants to go by.”

“Promise?” the braided man looked up at him.

“I swear by my magic, I will do better,” he swore.

“Good,” his husband leaned back in his embrace, “I’ll hold you to that. Though, we should probably head to bed, you do have work tomorrow.”

“Brat,” a smile pulled at the Potions Master’s lips, as he lifted his mate into his arms and carried him into their bedroom.


	9. Practical Defense

Chapter 8: Practical Defense

 

The next morning, Harry woke early and got dressed as quickly and quietly as he could. He didn’t think he could deal with Ron’s attitude at the moment, so he made his way down to the Great Hall alone. There weren’t many students up yet, but most of the teachers were present. As the only Gryffindor he knew present was Percy Weasley, he decided to bypass the table and headed instead for the Head Table. He came to a stop across from the table from his Head of House.

“Professor,” he said quietly, drawing her attention as well as the others around her, “I was wondering if I could have my schedule?”

“The schedules are handed out at the end of the meal, Mr. Potter,” McGonagall gave him a look over her spectacles.

“I—I know,” he shrugged, “but I kinda wanted to eat outside, it’s a nice day.”

“Very well, Mr. Potter,” she gave him a faint smile, and pulled out a piece of parchment.

“Thanks,” he nodded, accepting it from her.

He turned around and made his way back down the stairs. He stopped briefly at the Gryffindor table and grabbed several pieces of toast and a handful of bacon, before heading out of the hall and toward the front doors. He took a seat in a secluded corner of the courtyard and began eating.

As he ate, he tried to pull himself together. He couldn’t do this all the time, he knew that. He would have to face Ron eventually, but it hurt. Why couldn’t he just be happy for him? Why was he making such a big deal out of the fact that he had a family now? God, even Draco was taking it better than Ron, and he had been Harry’s enemy since day one.

He sighed and finished his breakfast and finally consulted his schedule. It looked like he had double Herbology first. He glanced at his watch and decided to head over to the greenhouses. He was joined almost ten minutes later by Ron and Hermione, as well as the rest of the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff second years.

After a slight run in with Gilderoy Lockhart, the class progressed without incident. Then followed Transfiguration and lunch. Throughout the lessons Ron had continued his attitude from the previous evening, only now he had progressed to not talking to Harry at all, not that their lessons had allowed for much talking, but still. Hermione had tried valiantly to make things less awkward, but it hadn’t really succeeded.

“What’ve we got this afternoon?” said Harry, hoping for a safe topic.

“Defense Against the Dark Arts,” said Hermione at once.

“ _Why_ ,” demanded Ron, seizing her schedule, “have you outlined all Lockhart’s lessons in little hearts?”

Hermione snatched the schedule back, blushing furiously.

They finished lunch and went outside into the overcast courtyard. Hermione sat down on a stone step and buried her nose in _Voyages with Vampires_ again. Harry turned to Ron, finally having enough.

“You know,” he said tersely, “the class isn’t Lockhart’s, it belongs to Hee—Professor Yuy. You’d do well to remember that because he’s not happy about Lockhart being here.”

“Oh, right,” the redhead snarled, “your precious daddy. Gonna tell on me now?”

“I’m not going to tell on you, Ron,” the bespectacled boy glared. “Now, I can’t help that I found my family, and that they’re here at Hogwarts. All I can do is make the best of this situation. And what you can do is stop being an asshole. You’re supposed to be my best friend, which means you getting mad at me for things I can’t control is stupid. I’m going to class.”

Harry turned on his heel and headed back toward the castle. The crowd, which had gathered to watch, parted easily for him. He accidentally bumped into Lockhart, but managed to get away from him before he started in on another speech about himself. He made it through the entrance hall and had just started up the stairs when he was finally stopped.

“Potter.”

Green eyes closed in resignation as he turned to the small alcove where the voice had originated from.

“What do you want, Malfoy?” he said, managing to keep his voice level.

“I heard what happened, kinda hard not to,” the blond shrugged. “Look, I know Weasley’s your friend, but he’s being a right prat about all of this, so…”

“So what?” the Gryffindor crossed his arms over his chest. “Gonna tell me who I can be friends with? Cause that’s still up to me.”

“I know,” the other held up his hands in surrender, “you made that pretty clear last year. What I was going to say, was that if you ever need to talk, about anything, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks, Draco,” Harry gave him a faint smile, “I’ll keep that in mind. Anyway, I should get to class, I don’t think Hee—Professor Yuy will take too kindly to students being late.”

“No, I don’t think he would,” Draco smirked. “Well, see you around, Potter.”

Harry shook his head as the blond went off to whatever class he had next, and continued upstairs to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. He was really early but since the door was open he made his way inside. Heero was already there, which didn’t really surprise him, seated at the desk in the front of the room. Prussian blue eyes rose and locked with his own.

“Hello, Harry,” he greeted quietly. “I didn’t expect anyone to be here this early, least of all you.”

“Well, I didn’t want to be late,” he shrugged. “And I kinda wanted to be alone.”

“You’ve wanted that a lot today,” Heero stood and made his way over to his son. “Care to explain.”

“Not really,” the raven head bowed as he studied the tabletop in front of him.

“That is your right,” the former Wing pilot shrugged. “But I get the feeling you want to talk about it.”

“It’s Ron,” it was as if he had just been waiting for the invitation to be given. “Ever since he found out you guys were my dads, he’s been acting like a… prat. He’s supposed to be my best friend, but he keeps calling me a liar and getting mad at me.”

“Hn,” Heero nodded. “If he is truly your best friend, as you say, then he will come around eventually.”

“You sound like you know,” green eyes rose almost shyly.

“I do.”

“What happened?” he asked curiously.

“My best friend didn’t tell me I had a son, and disappeared for eleven years,” the brunet answered seriously.

“Wait,” Harry frowned slightly, “Duo? He’s your best friend?”

Heero nodded, “But I have a feeling it will work out. And if Ron is truly your friend, then the same will happen for you.”

“Thanks,” that had given him hope.

“Hn,” a smirk crossed the man’s features.

Heero ruffled his hair and then made his way back to the front of the classroom. Almost immediately after he had taken his seat again, the rest of the class began to arrive. Hermione found Harry easily enough and took the seat next to him, while Ron made his way toward the middle of the classroom and sat down with Dean and Seamus. Harry was a bit hurt by this turn of events, but he’d wait it out, like Heero had suggested. Finally, all the students were seated and Gilderoy Lockhart was closing the classroom door. Before it could fully close, however, a hand snaked around the edge and forced it back open.

“Hope I’m not late,” Trowa said as he forced his way past the shocked Assistant Professor.

“You’re right on time,” Heero smirked. “Lockhart, close the door and have a seat over there, out of the way.”

“You do know that I am a highly qualified wizard,” the blond protested. “I have an…”

“Claim to have,” Prussian blue eyes leveled him with a look. “The only thing I actually believe you have ever earned in your life is Witch Weekly’s Most Charming Smile Award, but as that is a mindless frivolity, it is in essence pointless, so you will have a seat out of my way or I will turn you over to be dealt with by my husband, and he tends to blow up colonies.”

“I think you’ve been spending too much time with Wufei,” the unibanged man chuckled quietly, as Lockhart made his way to the corner behind Heero’s desk.

“Possibly,” the former Wing pilot shook his head, before turning his full attention to the class. “Welcome class, I am Professor Yuy, it’s a pleasure. Now, before we begin, by a show of hands, how many of you have read _Defensive Basics_?”

To no one’s surprise, Hermione’s hand flew into the air, though she was the only one.

“Hn,” he continued. “That is mildly disappointing, however, it was not required, so I will let it slide. That will be the only text required in this class, the other books you were forced to buy to line this idiot’s pockets, you may do with as you please. To start our lesson today, I have invited Mr. Barton-Chang to assist me in a demonstration. This demonstration is to show you the advantages of not just relying on your wand in a battle situation, as is outlined in your text. As such, in this class, I will be teaching you both magical and mundane forms of defense and combat. Now, before we start, I would like to point out that Mr. Barton-Chang and I are both highly trained professionals, and you are not to attempt anything you see here today without proper training. If you do, you could end up severely hurt or dead. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Professor Yuy,” they all chorused.

“Very well,” he nodded and turned to his companion. “Trowa, after you.”

“You’re giving up the first move to me?” the one visible brow rose curiously. “Is that wise, Heero?”

“I am teaching Defense,” the shaggy haired brunet shrugged, “it might be best if I showed what I’m supposed to be teaching.”

“Very well.”

With that they began to fight. It couldn’t exactly be called a duel because there was no real structure to it. The two combatants were all over the place; magic, punches, kicks, and even knives, in Trowa’s case, flying at strategic points. Though none of this chaos made its way into the assembled students, which was quite impressive in and of itself. The fight finally came to a close in an apparent draw, with Heero’s wand pointed at Trowa’s chest, while Trowa had a small knife to Heero’s throat. They held each other’s gaze for a moment before, as one, they each lowered their weapons.

“Now,” Prussian blue eyes turned to the class, “who can tell me who would’ve won the fight, and why?”

Unsurprisingly, Hermione’s hand was the first into the air.

“Granger?”

“The match was a draw,” she said confidently. “You are too evenly matched. There is no logical way to predict the winner.”

“No, the fight was decided there,” Heero shook his head. “We were just not aiming to kill. Weasley?”

“Well, you would’ve won, wouldn’t you?” the redhead scoffed slightly. “You had magic. The right spell and it would be over.”

The professor held his gaze, as if weighing the answer. As the silence continued, Harry slowly put his hand into the air.

“Potter?” his eyes never shifted from the redhead.

“Tro—Mr. Barton-Chang won the fight,” he took a steadying breath.

“Why?” the former Wing pilot asked, finally looking at his son.

“Because,” he bit his lip nervously, “no matter how strong, or smart, or fast the wizard is, a spell needs to be performed, wand movements, incantations, things like that. The knife was already in place, no thought required.”

“Correct,” a ghost of a smile flashed across the teacher’s face. “Magic, with as much as it can do, has its distinct disadvantages and weaknesses. As Potter pointed out, incantations and wand movements slow the process down. But these points can also be exploited. Even nonverbal spells require the proper wand movements, so if you learn those you have a distinct advantage over your opponent, whether to counter or protect accordingly.

“Now, I’m not saying Mr. Barton-Chang fought fair, he did not. He had a knife. But I will point out that having a secondary weapon, especially a different type than your primary, will always work in your favor. I didn’t fight fair, either. I may not have had a second weapon, per se, but as I’m sure you noticed, I did not just use my wand. You will find that your hands and feet can be just as deadly as any weapon, if used properly. In a true fight, there are no rules. To believe that you will face your opponent and exchange spells back and forth, is naïve to the point of idiocy, and will more than likely get you killed.

“Now, for the rest of the lesson, I want you to write down what you expect to get out of this class, to be turned in when the bell rings. You may consult your text for ideas, but there will be no talking. Begin.”

There was rustling as they all pulled out their books and parchment. The only sound that followed was the scratching of quills on parchment. When the bell rang, Heero dismissed the students, most of whom were now reading their text books, and had Lockhart gather the papers. Once they were gathered, he sent the nuisance known as his assistant away and turned to Trowa, who had stuck around for the remainder of the lesson.

“You know, you didn’t have to stay,” the shaggy haired brunet shook his head. “I only needed you for the demonstration.”

“I am aware,” the former Heavyarms pilot smirked. “Both Wufei and Quatre informed me. However, I stayed because I wanted some insight into our son. His answer to your question sounded like something Wufei would say.”

“I thought he sounded more like Quatre,” Heero chuckled. “His answer was strategic and analytical.”

“I think,” Trowa shook his head, “that we’ll see more of each of ourselves in him the more we get to know him.”

“You’re probably right,” the brunet shrugged. “Want to see what he wrote?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, not that he needed to, and began shuffling the papers. He found the one he wanted and laid it flat on the desk. Both men leaned over and began to read.

_What do I want to get out of this class? I don’t know. I guess I want to learn to defend myself and keep from getting my butt kicked. I don’t really want to fight at all, but if I have to, I want to be able to protect those closest to me and those who can’t fight for themselves._

“He sounds like Duo,” Heero ran a hand through his hair.

“He sounds like all of us,” Trowa countered. “We all had our different reasons for piloting, but when it came down to it, we all fought to end the fighting so others wouldn’t suffer anymore.”

“I guess you’re right,” the other agreed. “Well, that was my last class for the day, I’m heading out.”

“Yeah, I said I’d meet Wufei after his last class. See you at dinner.”


End file.
